Contactless debit card query,

Moneybags_2

I have a Debit card query and note this is a Credit card thread not sure where to post my query so here goes.

I have a Contactless debit card with Barclays. I very rarely use this facility but did recently on a purchase under £20. The sales assistant told me that it is a popular way of paying for small priced items and it's speedy.

My query is ,is supposing you lose the card in the street and someone picks it up. Can they use it by buying an item/s? How do we know that anyone can use anyone's Debitn card with Contactless. What form of identity is required and security in place, I wonder?

I can ask Barclays and will butwonder if anyone uses Contactless with confidence regularly?

Paully232000

I think one of the security measures is asking for a pin number at random times.

Having said that I don't see the benefit of contactless, and have never used it. Not sure how it is much quicker as you still have to queue up for whatever you are buying and get the cashier to ring through/add up whatever you have bought.

grumbler

For a debit card the correct place to post was Budgeting & Bank Accounts board.

Re security, see this long thread: List of Banks not doing contactless cards

eskbanker

Moneybags wrote: »

My query is ,is supposing you lose the card in the street and someone picks it up. Can they use it by buying an item/s? How do we know that anyone can use anyone's Debitn card with Contactless. What form of identity is required and security in place, I wonder?

I can ask Barclays and will

....or you could just read the information published about fraud protection on their website - go to the "It's secure" tab at http://www.barclays.co.uk/Helpsupport/Barclayscontactlessdebitcards/P1242561764200, which includes:

Can someone steal my contactless debit card and use its technology to empty my bank account?
No – if someone makes several contactless payments in a row, they'll be prompted to enter the card's PIN for security validation purposes. Contactless transactions are further protected by the fact that they can only be made on purchase of up to £30. For payments above that amount, the payee will be asked to make a Chip & PIN payment in the usual way.
If your card is lost or stolen, let us know immediately and we'll cancel and replace it for you. If you haven’t acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, you won’t be liable for any fraudulent transactions.

Moneybags_2

Thank you for all the replies. And to Grumbler for pointing me in the right direction thread wise and the link. To Eskbanker for the link to Barclays.

20aday

I regularly use contactless payments (where available) and whilst I appreciate people have concerns over security any fraudulent transaction(s) would be refunded by your bank.

sebtomato

I have used contactless for a while, and I don't believe I have ever been prompted to enter my PIN "randomly".

pvt

sebtomato wrote: »

I have used contactless for a while, and I don't believe I have ever been prompted to enter my PIN "randomly".

If your contactless transactions are interspersed with chip & pin transactions then you are unlikely to be asked for a pin. It is when you do a series of contactless transactions that the need to do a C&P is triggered.

SnowTiger

pvt wrote: »

If your contactless transactions are interspersed with chip & pin transactions then you are unlikely to be asked for a pin. It is when you do a series of contactless transactions that the need to do a C&P is triggered.

I lost out on 45p cashback at Morrisons yesterday when I waved my TSB debit card at the reader and it asked for Chip'n'PIN authorisation instead. I then paid with my Santander 123 card.

When I got outside the store I popped to a cashmachine to view my account balance.

Then went to Costa and successfully paid with a wave of my card.

I guess anything that involves using the Chip'n'PIN resets the contactless transaction counter.

Anthorn

Moneybags wrote: »

I have a Debit card query and note this is a Credit card thread not sure where to post my query so here goes.

I have a Contactless debit card with Barclays. I very rarely use this facility but did recently on a purchase under £20. The sales assistant told me that it is a popular way of paying for small priced items and it's speedy.

My query is ,is supposing you lose the card in the street and someone picks it up. Can they use it by buying an item/s? How do we know that anyone can use anyone's Debitn card with Contactless. What form of identity is required and security in place, I wonder?

I can ask Barclays and will butwonder if anyone uses Contactless with confidence regularly?

The limit on contactless payments is now £30.

I replied to a few posts previously stating that after a set number of contactless payments the terminal would not allow it and ask for a PIN to be entered with "Security" appearing on the terminal. That was true of my previous debit card but not true of my Nationwide Flex Account debit card, TSB debit card nor my MBNA Low Rate credit card. With all three I had to enter a PIN the first time I used it contactlessly but never again and I've used all three continuously over 6 months.

So given my current experience, yes it is possible for anyone finding the card to use it contactlessly until it's reported lost or stolen. Not very good security these days. Could depend on the bank and/or the user though.

Beckyjuice

There is also apparently a scam involving dodgy individuals carrying card readers in an attempt to discover contactless cards in the vicinity. The owner can then potentially take money without the owner's knowledge.
It seems like a bit of a minefield.