'I was charged £700 extra using contactless on the tube' - MSE News 25 January 2019 at 11:27AM in Public transport & cycling 15 replies 3.6K views

Former_MSE_Naomi

A London commuter was shocked to find she'd overpaid by more than £700 for her year's travel after tapping in and out using the same debit card on different devices. If you use Apple Pay or another mobile payment device on the underground or trains in London, make sure you don't get caught out...

Read the full story:
''I was charged £700 extra using contactless on the tube' – don't be caught out'

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One-Eye

If they didn't apply this rule, one person could use the card and another person could use the phone and two people could travel for the price of one.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

I don't go to the smoke that often, but I know to tap in and out with the same card! She should have got a Oyster thing!

mjm3346

Seems straightforward to me, if it wasn't I would certainly notice the charges within a couple of weeks even if I really didn't think it was obvious the same device should be used.

aj23_2

I would have thought this was pretty obvious anyway...

bozo007

One possible reason - when a card is added to a device through Google Pay or Apple Pay or something similar, these systems actually create a virtual card number and hide the actual card number as a security measure. So when you touch in and out using different devices or a mix of devices & cards, the TfL system probably sees different card numbers - both virtual and real.


So for the consumer, it all leads to the same account. But the technology behind all this is seeing different card numbers creating the mismatch.

chattychappy

Yet another example of lazy consumerism where people don't bother to check statements.

macman

This makes no sense. She didn't use 2 'devices', she used her phone to tap in, and her contactless debit card to tap out (or vice versa). Why would anyone consistently do that?

Herbalus

Beyond belief....how could she notice by checking her TFL statement, but didn't notice it on her actual bank statement??

I presume she read her bank statement more than a few times in 12 months?

Perhaps the headline should be: "check your bank statements"

nic_c

bozo007 wrote: »

One possible reason - when a card is added to a device through Google Pay or Apple Pay or something similar, these systems actually create a virtual card number and hide the actual card number as a security measure. So when you touch in and out using different devices or a mix of devices & cards, the TfL system probably sees different card numbers - both virtual and real.


So for the consumer, it all leads to the same account. But the technology behind all this is seeing different card numbers creating the mismatch.

Exactly, when you sign up to google pay it tells you that a virtual number is used, I assume ApplePay is the same. So as far as TfL are concerned its two separate travelers, they cannot be expected to know which card is virtual and what card it's linked to. It's all part of the extra security because its not your real card details being broadcast for the payment. There are many people with contactless cards who use these methods instead of their card for the very fact a virtual number is used.

That TfL refunds you when you make it aware, is good as they could simply point to the rules and tell you to be more careful next time.

It's another case of where its believed to be somebody elses fault - it's not TfL responsibility to ensure you use the same device so don't get charged twice or monitor your bank account over the year to ensure no overpayment it's the transport travellers.

I suppose this does act as a reminder to those what they should already know, to be more mindful of what device they use when, rather than saying "outrageous" etc that it happens.

nic_c

macman wrote: »

This makes no sense. She didn't use 2 'devices', she used her phone to tap in, and her contactless debit card to tap out (or vice versa). Why would anyone consistently do that?

To prove the point to allow a journalistic story at the end of the year, especially if you get paid more than £700 for it ;)

I can only surmise its whatever was at hand at the time, e.g. going to the tube may have had the card ready but phone in pocket as walking along a street, sat on the tube using phone and card put away, so when leaving already has phone out and easier to swipe with that than fish the card out. Though I agree most people would use the same device, i.e. a lot easier to tap phone both times, though I can see people having a smartwatch and smartphone and interchanging without realising or consciously remembering which device used when getting on and ensuring the same is used on exit.