Contactless payments to increase to £100 from 15/10

[Rids]

Conceptually I like the idea, but it does bring additional theft/fraud risk, but I guess the banks are willing to accept this. Mrs had her bag nicked at a bar in London just before the first lockdown and the guy went around and cleaned out the contactless limit on all her cards before she even had a chance of getting them stopped.

It was barely any headache for us, phone the card provider, identify the transactions that were not hers and the money was back in her accounts in a matter of hours but surprised the banks are willing to take on that much of a burden.

 

[visibleman]

Would be nice if we could just set it to own personal choice/limit.

100% this! I'm fine with an upper limit but ideally i'd like to be able to set my own and i don't believe any bank/card providers allow this with contactless payments (other than an overall daily/ATM spend limit).

Either way, i can see skimming increasing because of this.

I'm normally very much in with latest tech but the whole phone NFC payment is one I've never used.

If the reliability was there i would give it a proper go. But i see enough plebs on the underground turnstiles smashing their phones and watches on to the pad with it declining payments and causing holdups to tell me, it's not quite there.
Plus as you say, majority of pumps require Chip 'n' Pin so there's a chance you will have to carry a card either way.

Also, how often do some of you lose your wallet/cards? Some of the posts in here make it sound like a weekly occurrence!

Was thinking the same

 

[Yaayuh!]

It's only for up to the max amount, if you try to tap and pay without unlocking the phone then it will bong out as you have to unlock the phone to pay for more than £45 (soon to be £100).

Which is rather odd, I would have thought they'd have an option to authenticate all payments like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

 

[bayo000]

£100 seems high to me. Going to be a right headache if you lose your card or phone and someone has been going round spending £100 everywhere until you realise.

Thought you still have to put your PIN every ~£130 spent using contactless payments? So if you lose your card they shouldn't be able to spend more than that. Though that was under EU rules (150 euros limit) so don't know if that's still a thing.

 

[Lopéz]

To those who only pay with contactless or on mobile, if the internet or contactless system goes down, they won’t work!

As a contractor drilled through the cable down where my work is and all shops’ internet went down. Some had to close. It was a nightmare as not only for payments, we had to hand write reduction labels, unable to activate gift cards, issue phone credit vouchers etc.

And what do you think normal, chip and pin EPOS systems run on?
Think McFly, think!

 

[Freefaller]

I've been using my phone for most things, heck I've spent close to £1k in one go on my phone which was quite something! I can't remember the last time I used my card.

 

[BananaDunka]

Businesses that don't have a 4G backup connection even a 4G cheap dongle plugged into the 2nd WAN socket of their router when the main line goes down, tut tut...

 

[tlrBeta]

Thought you still have to put your PIN every ~£130 spent using contactless payments? So if you lose your card they shouldn't be able to spend more than that. Though that was under EU rules (150 euros limit) so don't know if that's still a thing.

Yes it does

And some companies are introducing variable limits you can set.

 

[Sho]

Added bonus on Goog

To those who only pay with contactless or on mobile, if the internet or contactless system goes down, they won’t work!

As a contractor drilled through the cable down where my work is and all shops’ internet went down. Some had to close. It was a nightmare as not only for payments, we had to hand write reduction labels, unable to activate gift cards, issue phone credit vouchers etc.

NFC does not use mobile network. It's a complete diffrent set-up .

I have been using NFC for the last 4-5 years and its my default method when it comes to payment. Lately i use my Ticwatch Pro 3 as my main payment device.
Most place accept Google/Samsung/Apple Pay. As long its been set up correctly. There is no need to carry a physical card.

 

[Ahleckz]

Good thing, quicker we get rid of cash the better. I remember going to Sweden before the lockdown and I didn't once see cash, and lots of places had signs up saying they didn't accept it. Used my (Halifax Clarity) credit card everywhere.

It's very annoying being forced to use cash. Today I had to pick up some clothes from the tailors and they didn't take card. Off to find a bank machine, first one was broken but luckily the second one worked. The third one is another good 20 minute walk away. Transaction fees are so low nowadays, and you can buy a terminal for £20, there really is no excuse.

 

[Cadder]

Does anyone else try not to touch the terminal with their card when paying? Otherwise it's not contactless really...

 

[Alibaba99]

£100 seems high to me. Going to be a right headache if you lose your card or phone and someone has been going round spending £100 everywhere until you realise.

There is both a limit on the total that can be spent contactless (spread over smaller payments) and the number of times the card can be used contactless before requiring the PIN to be input.

 

[M1k3H]

Don't mind it at all. In fact in Cyprus I think it's limitless to use contactless. You just have to enter your pin after using contactless above a limit. My father came over to visit and we went to the shops and he tried to pay for something which must have been above the £30 (?) limit back then with contactless. The cashier told him 'you need to use your pin', which he was intending to, but after using contactless, so spent a good 2 minutes telling him 'Yes I will', whilst trying to use contactless, not realising that in the UK you actually have to put the card into the machine to use the pin.

In terms of safety I think mobiles are the way forward. One issue I had was using contactless with locked phone; but recently I got the option (which I enabled) via Google Pay to require my phone to be unlocked.

So get the benefit of contactless without compromising on security.

 

[bayo000]

Don't mind it at all. In fact in Cyprus I think it's limitless to use contactless. You just have to enter your pin after using contactless above a limit. My father came over to visit and we went to the shops and he tried to pay for something which must have been above the £30 (?) limit back then with contactless. The cashier told him 'you need to use your pin', which he was intending to, but after using contactless, so spent a good 2 minutes telling him 'Yes I will', whilst trying to use contactless, not realising that in the UK you actually have to put the card into the machine to use the pin.

Same in Slovakia and think in Austria as well, was the same holiday so might have them mixed up. Not sure why that isn't a thing here.

 

[BananaDunka]

Does anyone else try not to touch the terminal with their card when paying? Otherwise it's not contactless really...

Lol it's always funny watching people SLAP their card onto the terminal loudly because it has to touch! Whilst I'm there gently hovering the phone over the terminal around 3cm gap between when the machine beeps.

Don't slap your cards on the machines, poo heads!

 

[Dyson]

Does anyone else try not to touch the terminal with their card when paying? Otherwise it's not contactless really...

I do the same, see it as a failure if I hear a tap

 

[Captain]

To those who only pay with contactless or on mobile, if the internet or contactless system goes down, they won’t work!

It’s good that Apple Pay works without a data connection, I’ve been in places before where I’ve had no service on my iPhone and Apple Pay has gone through fine.

 

[BennyC]

Some people on a tight budget may get themselves into trouble as they forget how much they are spending.

Opposing a convenience for the many because a few are unable to budget or exercise restraint isn't sensical.

Don't use contactless in that instance. As you say, enter a PIN.

 

[tlrBeta]

It’s good that Apple Pay works without a data connection, I’ve been in places before where I’ve had no service on my iPhone and Apple Pay has gone through fine.

Likely merchant floor limits, terminal rules or the terminal had a connection.

 

[Lopéz]

Same in Slovakia and think in Austria as well, was the same holiday so might have them mixed up. Not sure why that isn't a thing here.

Yes, both.