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Contact less credit cards

I recently had letter (dated 17th July) telling me they had identified my account as being at risk and they were sending me a new card. This duly arrived but is one of the new 'contact less cards'. I don't want one of these so contacted the company involved (Capital One) to say I didn't want such a card and wanted one that was not contact less only to be told that they were no longer issuing such cards. I have now told them to close my account!

Is this the way all card issuers are going? Will I be able to find one (preferably a cash back card) which issues 'conventional' cards?
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Comments

  • reclusive46
    reclusive46 Posts: 2,698 Forumite
    edited 25 July 2013 at 7:04PM
    Tacker35 wrote: »
    I recently had letter (dated 17th July) telling me they had identified my account as being at risk and they were sending me a new card. This duly arrived but is one of the new 'contact less cards'. I don't want one of these so contacted the company involved (Capital One) to say I didn't want such a card and wanted one that was not contact less only to be told that they were no longer issuing such cards. I have now told them to close my account!

    Is this the way all card issuers are going? Will I be able to find one (preferably a cash back card) which issues 'conventional' cards?

    Since Visa, American Express and MasterCard (MasterCard already mandates it for new Debit MasterCard issuers) over the next few years will pretty much require all issuers to issue them. Yes. Its also cheaper for the issuer to just make one type of card.

    There really isn't any reason to not have one and sometimes only contactless is accepted at places like parking machines and vending machines.

    Capital One started to issue them as many of its customers wanted one. The only cashback card that doesn't have contactless I can think off is the Nationwide (Only 0.5% though) and they have announced they will be issuing contactless cards shortly. Amex also issue contactless cards on all of their cards.
  • Weird_Nev
    Weird_Nev Posts: 1,383 Forumite
    They are standard in Australia. Whilst convenient, there are issues about security - in effect the card can be read from inside your pocket or wallet and small transactions are authorised without any user input whatsoever - just a wave of the card. I've had this with transactions up to about £100 worth, though the normal limit is more like £20.

    It's telling that Mythbusters wanted to do a piece about them, but were "dissuaded" by lawyers from all the major credit card companies.

    Get a Faraday wallet if you're worried!
  • reclusive46
    reclusive46 Posts: 2,698 Forumite
    Weird_Nev wrote: »

    It's telling that Mythbusters wanted to do a piece about them, but were "dissuaded" by lawyers from all the major credit card companies.

    Get a Faraday wallet if you're worried!

    Just to add onto this. This was for USA MSD based Contactless cards not EMV based contactless cards that the rest of the world uses, EMV contactless is far more secure.
  • thesaver79
    thesaver79 Posts: 189 Forumite
    Amex also issue contactless cards on all of their cards.

    My SPG Amex card, issued a couple of weeks ago, doesn't have contactless, differently from all the other Amex cards I own.
  • Weird_Nev
    Weird_Nev Posts: 1,383 Forumite
    Just to add onto this. This was for USA MSD based Contactless cards not EMV based contactless cards that the rest of the world uses, EMV contactless is far more secure.
    Fair enough, didn't know that!
    I still question the 'security' of anything that can be read remotely and requires no user verification though!
  • reclusive46
    reclusive46 Posts: 2,698 Forumite
    Weird_Nev wrote: »
    Fair enough, didn't know that!
    I still question the 'security' of anything that can be read remotely and requires no user verification though!

    If you have more than one contactless card in your wallet, it isn't even possible for them to be read remotely as they interfere with each other but even then its much more secure than the magnetic stripe that stores everything in plain text.
  • reclusive46
    reclusive46 Posts: 2,698 Forumite
    thesaver79 wrote: »
    My SPG Amex card, issued a couple of weeks ago, doesn't have contactless, differently from all the other Amex cards I own.

    Thats bizarre, although my nectar credit card (Which I never use anyway, was my first Amex) was replaced recently and me and one of my AU's was contactless but the other au's wasn't.
  • SCO
    SCO Posts: 729 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Halifax clarity reward card does not use contactless.

    HBOS seem to be one of the only issuers not to use contactless.
  • reclusive46
    reclusive46 Posts: 2,698 Forumite
    SCO wrote: »
    Halifax clarity reward card does not use contactless.

    HBOS seem to be one of the only issuers not to use contactless.

    HBOS randomly issues contactless cards lol. My Clarity is contactless but my additional cardholders isn't. My Lloyds TSB debit card isn't but my partners is.
  • hillcats
    hillcats Posts: 899 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Photogenic
    SCO wrote: »
    Halifax clarity reward card does not use contactless.

    Correction: They do now... I have one !
    ORIGINAL MORTGAGE AMOUNT £106,454.00 (Started Sept 2007)
    NOV 2021 O/S AMOUNT £1,694.41 OUR DEBT REDUCED BY £104,759.59 by std regular, over-payments & off-setting.
    BofE +0.19% Tracker Repayment Offset Mortgage Discounted Sept 07-10 then increased to BofE +0.62% until 2027
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