Contactless banks cards again

Today I received a new debit card from my bank, Halifax.

Nothing new there, you say, they're all doing it. But the difference with this one is that the paperwork that comes with it doesn't actually

*say* it's contactless. Doesn't mention anything related to it, not even the alleged benefits. The only way I know it's contactless is because I recognise the little sort-of-antenna symbol on the card itself.
Reply to
Big Les Wade
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You may also find that they won't issue you with a non-contactless card even if you specifically ask.

Reply to
Jon Ribbens

I got one from my bank too, but there was a leaflet explaining how it worked.

HBOS so the same, no?

Reply to
Ophelia

If you search YouTube you will find details of how to drill a little hole in the card which disables the antenna.

It still works as a normal chip-n-pin card.

Reply to
Andrew

jim a écrit :

From what I have gathered....

You have to use them for the first time via contact and PIN, after which contactless works, but for so many transactions per day and for less than £30 - ish.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

I've had one for some years and never knew, however, now readers are so much more numerous I'm seriously considering finding a small screened tin for it. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Or as was mentioned to me by my bank, they can talke it back and issue a non contactless one. However, I was warned, the newer devices fro reading cards are all contactless even if they have a slot. There is apparently a way to artificially tell the card its not doing a contactless transaction and remove the 30 quid limit. To me this sounds just what the crooks need. Bring back money. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

I've one from one of my banks. Never used it, but it has a tendency to bork ticket machines on buses. It can also be skimmed even when in your pocket. I keep my bank cards in a foil 'wallet' (aka tin-foil hat) - don't know if it works but the buses are OK now.

Reply to
PeterC

I don't buy that.

Reply to
Tim Watts

My card reader has just been replaced, apparently to meet new security standards. It will accept contactless, chip and PIN, card swipe or manual entry payments.

It is the terminal that decides which method of payment has been used and whether there is a limit on that method.

Reply to
Nightjar

Indeed one possible benefit of the Barclays "pay by phone" is that it does allow contactless payments above the £30 limit (still not having used it, I don't know what additional steps it uses such as PIN entry on the phone, or fingerprint recognition).

Reply to
Andy Burns

no, less that 30 pounds exactly or rather less than 30.01 exactly :-)

tim

Reply to
tim...

Range is a couple of inches and readers are easily confused by other contactless cards in the same wallet. Even a single thickness of alloy foil between card and reader is enough to prevent them being read.

Likewise, a single thickness of foil around your cars ignition key, will prevent the chip in the key from responding and will inhibit the car from being started.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

This may be complete bollocks, but I was led to believe that contactless cards work on radio waves (to use the technical term) and that metal foil isn't an effective barrier against radio waves.

michael adams

...

Reply to
michael adams

*Is*
Reply to
Guess I'll go and eat worms

As indeed it is.

Reply to
michael adams

michael adams a écrit :

It is known as screening and very effective indeed. As used on coax cables and various other things to prevent the escape or ingress of RF. If you doubt it effectiveness I would suggest your try it, before calling. ;-)

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Well all the radio waves I know about are stopped very effecttively by a metal sheet.

Reply to
Chris Green

you need to go and look up

the Faraday cage

tim

Reply to
tim...

Well yes.

When contactless first came out I was carrying around at least two in the same card wallet*. A CC and a train pass. To avoid the much vaunted card clash I wrapped a card size piece of 1/4 inch galvanised mesh in baking foil and inserted that in a middle pocket of the wallet. Whether it actually helped avoid card clash I don't know as the train pass stopped working after a couple of weeks. Possibly I was lucky my trousers didn't catch fire. What with all the faffing about getting the train pass replaced its now carried in a separate wallet.

michael adams

*Reinforced with a card size piece of steel cut from the base of a defunct video recorder,
Reply to
michael adams

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