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

Former_MSE_Karl

Poll started 19 March 2019

Two in five card payments are now made using contactless – up 31% in 2018. Yet the maximum amount you can spend using contactless is just £30 (barring some using Apple Pay), which is done to cap spending if someone takes your card.

What would you like the limit per transaction to be?

Click here to vote in the poll

Did you vote? Are you surprised at the results so far? Have your say below.

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Thanks!


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Livy

What would help if retailers actually implemented Apple and Android pay properly.
Instead of setting a £30 for all contactless transactions.

Pete_Sussex

Personally I think contactless is a bad idea. They spent millions implementing Chip & Pin to protect us and now it's bypassed. The other week, tired after a double shift at work, I left my card in the hospital car park machine. Raced back when I realised but of course it was gone. Luckily an honest person had found it and called the bank and it was cancelled. If it had been a contactless card I could have lost up to £180 for a moment's carelessness. That's a lot when you work for the NHS!

MothballsWallet

My answer: Yes.

It's already £50 in London and £30 everywhere else: I wonder why that was agreed?

Some Londoners who venture outside the Big Smoke throw a strop and complain about their fee fees being offended when they find out the contactless limit is lower up here.

I think it needs to be increased and made the same for everyone with this disparity removed.

williamro

Risks if cards are lost are already too great. You could lose 10 x £30 or more in a very short time. Suggest cardholder sets own limit but issuer would have some say especially where cardholder wanted a high limit which would increase risks of losses to cardholder and issuer. I would prefer to set my limit to £20 and be prepared to use a PIN for higher sums. Maybe fingerprint technology will supersede all of this before long.

NaughtiusMaximus

MothballsWallet wrote: »

It's already £50 in London and £30 everywhere else:

Really??? I'm a regular visitor to London for work and didn't know there was a higher limit there. It's not something that's been well publicised so not really surprising some Londoners are being caught out when they go elsewhere.

DigForVictory

I'm a wicked old reactionary - I say let the individual set the maximum, but if it's over the agreed £30 then they are liable for any unauthorised transcriptions.

Accidents happen but if you desperately need to pay for something "with a tap", you may need a lesson or two in card care & management.

I also want to see the option of absolutely-no-contactless and app-disabled-contactless more clearly possible.

Ectophile

I don't have any contactless cards. Every time somebody sends me one, I tell them to send me one without the contactless option.


HSBC didn't seem to have any way of doing that. It was just another reason to dump them.

elsien

Only if you have the option to decrease it to a lower level if you wish.

FedUpWithHikes

I would prefer the card companies and banks to offer users a non-contactless card option, but as it's their plan to reduce the use of cash (for their benefit), they won't!
1. They cut their costs of handling and transporting cash - and can close more branches!
2. They get a "cut" of every transaction!
3. They gather information of what we buy, where and when, which they can sell to advertisers (or GCHQ/NSA).
4. They hope users will spend more!
I'll stick to cash, and keep my anonymity!
I put some tinfoil in my wallet to protect against fraud! If the crooks areen't already scanning people who walk past, they soon will! No need to steal a card, just charge it!

yorkie22

These are one of the worst idea's yet. I have worked in a shop where thieves have come in and used someone else's card. they try it out with something cheap then they go in for whatever they can. £30 may not sound a lot but after a few times it adds up. It's alright the bank saying ' we will put the money back' but where is all this money coming from to put it back. If the temptation is.'t there they can't spend it. I had contactless taken off my cards. I know you think ' I won't loose my card or risk having it stolen' but those that have lost money probably said the same.:(