Contactless payments - possible to increase to £100 in Grocery Shops?

Lorian

I'm not sure if the technology allows - but could banks increase the contact less card limit to say £100 in grocery shops to remove possibly millions of high-contact points over the coming months?

Lorian

Seems the dutch have already done it.
https://www.finextra.com/newsarticle/35493/dutch-banks-raise-contactless-limits-for-pin-entry

If any staff see this are you able to bring it to the attention of someone who might help get this done?

mwarby

There's an argument that having a max spend of £30 regardless of payment type, would actually help to slow the panic buying. Maybe once a sense of normality in terms of volume of food gets back to normal it would be a good idea

Jeremy535897

You cannot enforce a £30 limit on NHS workers who will be lucky to have time to do one shop a week.

mwarby

With all rules there has to be some common sense and exceptions

Jeremy535897

In times like this it is my experience that rules are applied rigidly, with neither common sense nor exceptions (eg it is OK to buy two 1kg bags of flour, but not three 0.5kg bags of the same flour).

glennevis

Why change the rule? If your shop is over £30 then you have to insert your card and enter the pin. If you're worried about touching the machine, wear gloves.

Not difficult, unless it's not your card of course. Which is why the limit is in place.

Jeremy535897

Because 500+ people have probably touched the keypad on the card machine before you did, and coronavirus can live on such surfaces for a long time. With contactless you touch nothing but your own card.

neilmcl

Jeremy535897 said:

Because 500+ people have probably touched the keypad on the card machine before you did, and coronavirus can live on such surfaces for a long time. With contactless you touch nothing but your own card.

So what about your basket/trolley, self-checkout touchpad and the many other things you'll no doubt touch during your trip out. The only defence is to regularly, and thoroughly wash your hands.

Jeremy535897

It's all about managing the risk. Yes you have to touch the trolley etc, but remove any unnecessary contact like the card machine keypad. At present you can only do that for a £30 shop.

Undervalued

mwarby said:

There's an argument that having a max spend of £30 regardless of payment type, would actually help to slow the panic buying. Maybe once a sense of normality in terms of volume of food gets back to normal it would be a good idea

The trouble is it is two edged.

If that person genuinely needs £90 worth of goods he then has to make three visits (or visit three shops) which is increasing the risk of spreading the virus.