Is contactless all that it's cracked up to be?

mwarby

roadrunnertwozero15 wrote: »

I have a basic account but no contactless with the bank I want and I dunno if I want to switch to a basic account what has contactless if it's not much of a benefit?

I think it's a positive sign that some banks are now issuing contactless cards to basic account customers. Many view these accounts as a loss making burden, so try to avoid spending the money to make the changes (new card design, leaflets, new cards for existing users etc). For me a bank who goes to the effort if introducing contactless for basic bank accounts wants customers (currently basic or not)

mwarby

roadrunnertwozero15 wrote: »

Is contactless all it's cracked up to be? Anyone opted out of it? Anyone find it useful or useless? Do you have contactless but never bother use it and still do it by chip and pin?

I have a basic account but no contactless with the bank I want and I dunno if I want to switch to a basic account what has contactless if it's not much of a benefit?

Actually seeing your others posts - why not move, Lloyd's not opting to give you a contactless card is clearly getting to you. If you find its not so good or your new bank isn't so good you can always switch again

Bloomberg

roadrunnertwozero15 wrote: »

Is contactless all it's cracked up to be? Anyone opted out of it? Anyone find it useful or useless? Do you have contactless but never bother use it and still do it by chip and pin?

I have a basic account but no contactless with the bank I want and I dunno if I want to switch to a basic account what has contactless if it's not much of a benefit?

I think that the best way to use contactless is with a bpay key ring fob. Using the app you put money on it from your debit or credit card (£200 max) and just tap it like you would a contactless card. Every time you use it (£30 per transaction limit) the activity section and balance update immediately. At any point you can put the funds back onto your card, this is particularly handy if you lose it.


https://www.bpay.co.uk

mwarby

An account with an online debit card would have the advantage of being free, and your available balance should be updated in near real-time

One downside you'll see moving away from Lloyd's (and other LBG banks) is they(nationwide and Barclay' anyways) don't show the breakdown of pending transactions like Lloyd's do. You'll be able to see your available is less than balance, but not the transactions which make this up

If you have a modernish android phone android pay may help in this regard(as I think you can get a list in app, not used yet so cant confirm)

cheesetoast

mwarby wrote: »

If you have a modernish android phone android pay may help in this regard(as I think you can get a list in app, not used yet so cant confirm)

Yep, Android Pay lists your last 10 transactions per card, in real time*.

*Except if you're spending money in your local village shop, where there's no mobile signal - then it updates when you get home and in range of Wifi

20aday

teddysmum wrote: »

My present current account has a contactless card with no option to have just chip and pin,but I have only ever used it as the latter.


We are about to open TSB current accounts, for the interest and thought of using their contactless to gain the extra 5%.


However,for weekly grocery shopping there would be the hassle of splitting the purchase into amounts of £30 or less and likewise for petrol.


Thinking of contactless shopping, I checked at Tesco, to be told that they don't have the technology to deal with contactless purchases; very surprising.

I work for Tesco and also wish they had contactless outside of their smaller Express/Metro formats.

Have never understood why they have the (greyed out) option on their self service checkouts for contactless :rotfl:

oldagetraveller

"Anyone opted out of it?"
Yes I have opted and it was very easy. I simply don't use the facility.:)

elverson

Certainly saves time in pubs, and if you travel on London public transport you can use it instead of Oyster for pay-as-you-go travel.

Bettie

Taking it at work saves me a lot of time and I haven't had a card that failed to work. I struggle though with mine. Either they don't take it, something goes wrong with their terminal or it's pin time. One pub turned me down because he said I had food so couldn't use it ?????

DigForVictory

Not being a Londoner, the only time I see it in repeated use is in McDonalds & I'd prefer to chip & pin that anyway.

The contactless or not is not that big a deal to me!