MoneySaving Poll: Should the contactless card spending limit be increased?

RHD_TJ

One time, when I went to make payment with a non-contactless card, Before I was able to place the card inside the slot the display changed to say the payment had been authorised. The machine had picked up the contactless card that was in my wallet, and further away from the machine that the card I had intended to use. I don't like the fact that the card details can be read through the air with no security. I searched the internet after getting home to find out how to disable the contactless feature. I now have no cards that can have details scanned through wireless means.

happyinflorida

I wouldn't ever want one of these as it's like an open invitation to have your money nicked and far more easily than having your wallet stolen.
I don't trust these at all nor do I trust the banks for issuing them as there is no come back on misuse at all, you - the customer loses, not the bank. No thanks banks, not now, not ever.

Fellwalker

Contactless is very convenient as a replacement for cash, and it saves the store keeper from needing so much change in the till, and me from a wallet full of small coins. But it is meant for samll cash-equivalent purchases.

PIN or other security should be required for higher amounts, which is a negligible occasional delay. If someone wants a higher limit, let them stand the losses if they ever misplace their card or a friend or family member "borrows" it.

The scary thing is that even at £30, several retailers have told me they regularly get customers who cannot remember their PIN because mostly they don't use it. If you could wave any amount through, would you bother to remember a code for the occasional time that the terminal requires a PIN as a security check?

If you are worried about the wrong card being scanned, or your card keeps cracking, get a card sized steel insert for your wallet.

Swipe

I've never used the feature and never will. If it really that much of hardship to enter your pin?

Gordon_the_Moron

I'd like to easily (i.e. do it yourself via online banking not through ringing the bank/writing to them/going to a branch) turn the feature on or off on any particular card (and set a personal limit, up to £30 - above that you'd be stupid not to want to spend 5 seconds entering a PIN). There'd be no need to issue non-contactless cards, you could just disable it for a certain card, the card reader would still read the card but the bank would then decline the transaction.

I find the feature handy but as I carry multiple cards around with me I'd rather have it turned off on all but 1 or 2 of them at most!

Gordon_the_Moron

One thing I don't understand though, where a payment is over the contactless limit, why do you still need to insert the card? Why can't they do a contactless card reading followed by a prompt for a PIN? Negligible difference in time but it would reduce wear and tear on your cards.

Gordon_the_Moron

andyfras wrote: »

I think that £30 is OK. It's not too much of a hardship to put in a PIN for larger amounts.

Unfortunately, contactless cards don't last long in my wallet before they get cracked; this breaks the contactless aerial which runs around the edge of the card. The card is still fine for PIN payments, as the chip and contacts are unaffected.

Thank you for that, I didn't know that! I have a feeling I may be deliberately doing this to a couple of my cards to stop contactless working!