OT: Credit card contactless purchase worry

[AnthonyL]

[Andy Burns]

are you saying you "tapped" the card against one reader, then handed the card to the cashier (why?) who tapped it against another reader?

Don't think they can get any other details other than those embossed on the card

[Tim Streater]

One thing you can do is buy some of these metalised plastic things you can slip your chippy cards into. These should prevent someone using a more sensitive reader to read the card while it's in your pocket. You can get packs of these for a coupla quid. I assume they work, haven't tested them.

Since they are barely larger than a card, it's a faff slipping a card in and out of them, so I use two in my wallet a just slide my chippy cards between them.

[Murmansk]

Although it's called contactless, you effectively touched it against the reader, what's the difference? 10mm away or a brief touch, is it really going to make any difference to the outcome?

[AnthonyL]

No he didn't use another reader. He pointed to where to touch the card on the machine then pressed it there with his thumb. I never let go of the card, he just made sure the contactless made contact with the chip.

[John Rumm]

Nothing to worry about then...

[R D S]

Some of them have a retrofit so the card needs presenting at the edge (or slightly beyond) of the device to read.

That said I don't use my contactless in local garages as they are all subject to rumours, one confirmed by a family 'friend' who worked in one (a total scumbag himself). Clone cards then low level infrequent transactions so they are likely to slip under the radar.

[Tim+]

The only thing I worry about is when they present the machine the wrong way round making it hard to see the amount they?ve entered.

Tim

[soup]

You must tax your vehicle even if you do not have to pay.

It appears to me that he is 'fed-up' with people just waving the card in the general direction of the reader and it not reading properly, leading to him having to go all through the "could you just try that again the reader is playing up to-day" (always take the blame you want the customers money). So he ensures proper contact by pressing against it .

Originally it was supposed to be a physical contact (anyone remember when the system was called 'tap and go'?).

Then I noticed (more and more in Covid times) people were not actually touching the reader with the card just holding it 5mm (or so) clear. This morphed into waving the card in the general direction of the reader some wireless readers were good enough to cope with this (up to say 2~3 cm ) others were so 'crap' (also the card itself could be a bit 'iffy')they needed the card at the 2~3 mm or even touching

AIMHO

[Joey]

Nope, nothing to worry about, its something which is done when the card reader isnt that reliable.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

on 16/06/2021, Tim Streater supposed :

Any metallised foil, slipped into the full length of the outer pocket of a folding wallet with achieve the same purpose and at no cost.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Murmansk laid this down on his screen :

Garages and shops in the height of the covid, were using them through their glass / perspex barriers.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

John Rumm pretended :

...But should not have been necessary.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It happens that Tim+ formulated :

Use your phone to pay and set the account(s) to notify you of the amount instantly - no mistakes then.

[Tim+]

It?s a lot quicker to whip out a card than getting your phone out, unlocking it, opening an app etc..

The speed and convenience of using a card wins for me, especially at a busy checkout.

Tim

[Jeff Layman]

As others have said, there's nothing to worry about. I'm more concerned with the new type of contactless readers (or they can be used with a PIN for transactions above £45). These are the sort reviewed here:

The "Square Reader", reviewed here is one of the worst, IMHO:

Not only does it not have a screen so you can see what is being charged, unless the seller has a printer, you don't even get a receipt if you use a card. I know that those using a phone to pay with, eg Apple Pay get a "receipt" on their phone, but as far as I'm aware there is no detail, so you don't know if you've been charged correctly for one or more items, you only know the total.

I understand that with the Square Card reader you can have an option to have a receipt sent to an email address or texted to a phone. But what if you don't want to provide either of those for privacy reasons? And is the receipt detailed, or like the Apple Pay one mentioned above?

[charles]

my phone is in a belt pouch, my credit card in my wallet. Not really any difference in time.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Not unless he had another reader somewhere. Besides I've come across many readers that seem to be lacking in sensitivity. Many of the ones apparently now on busses are needing the card to be flat on the reader. Brian

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Its nfc near field communication. Many phones have it as well. Its a bit like the chip in a dogs neck, and exactly like the ones in Oyster cards used by TFL in London.

Brian

[AnthonyL]

Yes that's what I recall seeing.