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Disabling contactless payment on credit/debit cards
Options
techno79
Posts: 354 Forumite
in Credit cards
For the first time ever, I recently got a credit card that came with contactless payment. I am not a fan of this but they did not provide a non-contactless payment alternative card.
Firstly my reasoning: I do not trust the security of the contactless payment. It doesn't take much for someone with a little bit of knowledge to purchase some fairly cheap electronics online to read all the data off a contactless card when they brush passed me. This video shows it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elBWoMXt3WY
Some may argue that I'm only exposed to £20 but this is £20 per day per person. Someone with malicious intent could easily rake a small fortune each day by brushing past people on a busy tube or other location and skim tons of cards while they are in the pockets and wallets. And if you were a victim of said crime, you are only protected if you identify the fraudulent transactions. It's a fact that many fraudulent transactions do not get noticed until things have spiralled way out of control. And each person that becomes a victim of this kind of fraud, only encourages it to happen more as it becomes more lucrative for these fraudsters.
Searching on the Internet in trying to find how to disable a contactless card was a bit of a mine field as there are so many different types of cards that the process isn't exactly standardised. However, I thought of a solution that would make it a lot easier and I'm writing this in the hope that it can help other people.
Just to explain about the contactless cards: in order for contactless cards to work, they need to have an antenna built into the card to allow the contactless payment feature to work. No antenna = no contactless payment. The antenna is normally a wire loop that starts at the chip and pin chip, works it's wire around most of the card and finishes back at the chip.
Two options. Both involve cutting the card. The first option is the way that gives you the cleanest looking card. Second option is quicker to do but may not give you as clean look.
Option 1:
1. Ring the card company and explain to them that you're having intermittent problems with your card. Request if you can be sent out a new card. If you say the card has been stolen or you've lost it then they will issue a new card with a different number and a new PIN (which might be hassle). But if you say you have the card but it's not working correctly then the new card and the PIN will be identical (less hassle).
2. The old card "should" keep working until you activate the new card. (I say should as your mileage may vary but I'm pretty sure the activation of the new card will trigger the old card to stop working).
3. Once you receive the new card, compare the design of the cards to confirm they are the same. If they have a visibly different design then you may want to repeat step 1 so you have two identical cards.
4. Now you have two cards, use the old card to test where the antenna is. Use some heavy duty scissors and start vertical cutting strips of the card. The thinner the better. Each cut piece, you should examine for the tell tale antenna wire. As you cut each piece, you begin to build up where the antenna is in the card.
5. Having worked out where the antenna is, you can then decide where the most optimum place is to cut on your new card that would sever the antenna. Personally I would actually cut a small thin rectangle in this location because just doing one cut may still allow the antenna wires to touch.
Option 2:
1. Look at the card so the chip and pin chip is facing you.
2. There's a very high chance that the antenna wires will start and end on the right side of the chip. You can then proceed to cut out a small thin rectangle on the right side of the chip.
3. The rectangle only needs to be as tall as the size of the chip. And start a few mm away from the chip edge.
4. To cut out the rectangle, you can use a metal ruler and a sharp craft knife. Start with medium pressure and make a cut, it probably won't cut all the way through but if you keep cutting along the same line then eventually you'll go through.
And that's it. Hope that helps some people.
Firstly my reasoning: I do not trust the security of the contactless payment. It doesn't take much for someone with a little bit of knowledge to purchase some fairly cheap electronics online to read all the data off a contactless card when they brush passed me. This video shows it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elBWoMXt3WY
Some may argue that I'm only exposed to £20 but this is £20 per day per person. Someone with malicious intent could easily rake a small fortune each day by brushing past people on a busy tube or other location and skim tons of cards while they are in the pockets and wallets. And if you were a victim of said crime, you are only protected if you identify the fraudulent transactions. It's a fact that many fraudulent transactions do not get noticed until things have spiralled way out of control. And each person that becomes a victim of this kind of fraud, only encourages it to happen more as it becomes more lucrative for these fraudsters.
Searching on the Internet in trying to find how to disable a contactless card was a bit of a mine field as there are so many different types of cards that the process isn't exactly standardised. However, I thought of a solution that would make it a lot easier and I'm writing this in the hope that it can help other people.
Just to explain about the contactless cards: in order for contactless cards to work, they need to have an antenna built into the card to allow the contactless payment feature to work. No antenna = no contactless payment. The antenna is normally a wire loop that starts at the chip and pin chip, works it's wire around most of the card and finishes back at the chip.
Two options. Both involve cutting the card. The first option is the way that gives you the cleanest looking card. Second option is quicker to do but may not give you as clean look.
Option 1:
1. Ring the card company and explain to them that you're having intermittent problems with your card. Request if you can be sent out a new card. If you say the card has been stolen or you've lost it then they will issue a new card with a different number and a new PIN (which might be hassle). But if you say you have the card but it's not working correctly then the new card and the PIN will be identical (less hassle).
2. The old card "should" keep working until you activate the new card. (I say should as your mileage may vary but I'm pretty sure the activation of the new card will trigger the old card to stop working).
3. Once you receive the new card, compare the design of the cards to confirm they are the same. If they have a visibly different design then you may want to repeat step 1 so you have two identical cards.
4. Now you have two cards, use the old card to test where the antenna is. Use some heavy duty scissors and start vertical cutting strips of the card. The thinner the better. Each cut piece, you should examine for the tell tale antenna wire. As you cut each piece, you begin to build up where the antenna is in the card.
5. Having worked out where the antenna is, you can then decide where the most optimum place is to cut on your new card that would sever the antenna. Personally I would actually cut a small thin rectangle in this location because just doing one cut may still allow the antenna wires to touch.
Option 2:
1. Look at the card so the chip and pin chip is facing you.
2. There's a very high chance that the antenna wires will start and end on the right side of the chip. You can then proceed to cut out a small thin rectangle on the right side of the chip.
3. The rectangle only needs to be as tall as the size of the chip. And start a few mm away from the chip edge.
4. To cut out the rectangle, you can use a metal ruler and a sharp craft knife. Start with medium pressure and make a cut, it probably won't cut all the way through but if you keep cutting along the same line then eventually you'll go through.
And that's it. Hope that helps some people.
0
Comments
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Maybe just me, but i'd notice the first fraudulent £20 leaving my account, so no scope for me to be out of pocket by any more.
Contactless cards have been around for quite a while now, not seen many horror stories about huge amounts of fraud, has anyone else ? I can't see many people wanting to take the extreme measures you are suggesting.0 -
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Simply cut it into two and pay by cash but don't use any card in an ATM as it might be cloned.Never pay on an estimated bill. Always read and understand your bill0
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All of your anti fraud measures seem a bit extreme. Wouldn't it be simpler to buy a suitcase and have it lined with lead, about 3" thickness should suffice. Walk around with your CC in the suitcase and you should be safe.0
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It may be extreme but it completely disables the contactless payment option. Wrapping the card in foil or some RFID shield is a hassle and still not 100% effective. Buying a special wallet with an RFID shield built in severely limits the design choices available for a wallet which is not great either. My solution is not for everyone but I'm sure it'll be helpful for some.
As for not hearing too many scare stories about contactless payment, well I'll just leave this link here for people to judge for themselves: http://gizmodo.com/5882102/mythbusters-was-banned-from-talking-about-rfid-chips-because-credit-card-companies-are-little-weenies0 -
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Anyone on the forum had fraudulent contactless transactions on their accounts ?
I've looked at your link. I'm still not scared.0 -
Yep, that's pretty much what I did for mine but mine is a lot cleaner as I used a craft knife rather than a soldering iron. The rectangle is much smaller and only on the right side of the chip. The rectangle on the left side of the chip isn't needed.0
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