Contactless Bank Card

gemma-the-husky · 28/02/15 - 18:32

The bank sent me one of these a few days ago, and I used it the first time the other day.

Rather than putting the card in the reader, and entering a pin, I just held it against the scanner, and the transaction was immediately completed.

Surely not requiring any pin input is completely insecure? What if the card got stolen?

JustinThePub · 28/02/15 - 18:33

gemma-the-husky wrote: »

The bank sent me one of these a few days ago, and I used it the first time the other day.

Rather than putting the card in the reader, and entering a pin, I just held it against the scanner, and the transaction was immediately completed.

Surely not requiring any pin input is completely insecure? What if the card got stolen?

Didn't you read the information that came with the card? That should explain.

floozie_21 · 28/02/15 - 18:34

As far as I'm aware you can only use contactless for purchases up to £20 so at least that's some comfort if it got stolen.

Will_Bee · 28/02/15 - 18:38

If your card gets stolen someone can go on a spending frenzy with it, buying copious amounts of newspapers and polo mints.

TUC · 28/02/15 - 18:57

Will_Bee wrote: »

If your card gets stolen someone can go on a spending frenzy with it, buying copious amounts of newspapers and polo mints.

You must buy very expensive polo mints.

Lyricalis · 28/02/15 - 19:02

I'm getting deja vu again. I thought when you had it once you became immune

.

Does anyone know of a cure and a pharmacy that accepts contactless payment?

itscoldoutside · 28/02/15 - 19:12

Its simple, with contactless you can only spend unto £30.

Every now and then it will ask for your pin.

RAINBOWGIRL22 · 28/02/15 - 19:15

As others say there is a limit. I believe that seeing the card used up to / close to it's limit several times in a row in a short space of time kicks in some kind of security mechanism?

(if it doesn't then it should - Barclays take note!!

henm2 · 28/02/15 - 19:36

Security fears re contactless cards are a bit OTT with the present very restrictive transaction limit of £20 and £30 from September.

A real fraudster getting hold of a contactless card is not going to bother with relatively small contactless transactions. He/She would instead quickly use the card details for much bigger item purchases both online and by telephone.

itscoldoutside · 28/02/15 - 19:39

You can disable the contactless part by putting a small hole through the card at a certain point.

spkx · 28/02/15 - 20:04

If someone steals your card they'll probably use it online rather than bother with using it contactlessly

lemoncurd · 28/02/15 - 20:12

gemma-the-husky wrote: »

The bank sent me one of these a few days ago, and I used it the first time the other day.

Rather than putting the card in the reader, and entering a pin, I just held it against the scanner, and the transaction was immediately completed.

Surely not requiring any pin input is completely insecure? What if the card got stolen?

Sounds dodgy. When I've received them in the past, the accompanying leaflet says you will need to enter your PIN the first time you use it. The idea being given that if you don't want to enable the contactless feature, you don't have to.

lemoncurd · 28/02/15 - 20:19

spkx wrote: »

If someone steals your card they'll probably use it online rather than bother with using it contactlessly

Wouldn't be very sensible though...The delivery address would make the fraud easily traceable.

tealady · 28/02/15 - 21:04

Its only up to £20 (£30 from September.)
Plenty of previous threads discussing this.

If you lose it, then there is a small window to use it illegally before a pin is required.

fortytwo · 28/02/15 - 21:40

Why not spend an hour or three looking at the thread I started a while back!

It did go off course in the end but plenty of views expressed in the meantime.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2012167&highlight=contactless+cards

itscoldoutside · 28/02/15 - 21:42

It is possible for people to steal money from your card by using sensors located within their person, on the tube etc, but this is highly unlikely.

Inspiration · 28/02/15 - 21:43

Yeah as above they have a spending limit. I love contactless. I never used to use it but now it's annoying when I can't.

technologist · 28/02/15 - 22:20

And you can use it on all tfl services like an oyster card .,
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless

nuttytigger · 28/02/15 - 22:23

I used it in Iceland the other day for £5 and it went through fine, but then tried in Aldi for £12 and it asked for a pin, not a problem, but the previous time I had tried to use it in Aldi it asked as well.

So Aldi no, Iceland yes, Aldi no. Which I found strange.

Thine Wonk · 28/02/15 - 22:26

itscoldoutside wrote: »

It is possible for people to steal money from your card by using sensors located within their person, on the tube etc, but this is highly unlikely.

Unlikely as they need a merchant that will process the payments and usually those merchants pay the 'retailer' after a short period of time (especially small 1 man band retailers) to make sure the debits aren't fraud. If they are, they simply take the credit back from the merchant before it is paid to them. Several reports or chargebacks would lead to the merchant investigating and if necessary banning the retailer and locking all funds.

Paul237 · 28/02/15 - 22:30

I think you can only make 5 contactless purchases in a row before it asks for a PIN.

degsyhufc · 28/02/15 - 23:21

Will_Bee wrote: »

If your card gets stolen someone can go on a spending frenzy with it, buying copious amounts of newspapers and polo mints.

This should be the default reply to those who complain about contactless cards.

SnrDev · 28/02/15 - 23:36

lemoncurd wrote: »

Sounds dodgy. When I've received them in the past, the accompanying leaflet says you will need to enter your PIN the first time you use it. The idea being given that if you don't want to enable the contactless feature, you don't have to.

If the first use is in an ATM or a purchase over £20 (hence PIN required) that acts as the initial authorisation for the card. Use of the PIN unlocks the card, not the contactless functionality.

gemma-the-husky · 28/02/15 - 23:37

thanks for the tips. I hadn't noticed any other threads, and didn't appreciate there was a small limit.

jonmorris · 01/03/15 - 01:34

TUC wrote: »

You must buy very expensive polo mints.

WH Smith at an airport or motorway services?

tealady · 01/03/15 - 09:22

itscoldoutside wrote: »

It is possible for people to steal money from your card by using sensors located within their person, on the tube etc, but this is highly unlikely.

Only if they were a business set up with a merchant. You can't just decide to get a merchant agreement, there are quite a few hoops to jump through.
Complete waste of time, as there would be a full trail of everything.

Hey there!

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