Contactless not recognised

fb1969

Posting this here rather than "techie stuff".

I keep my credit card in a standard mobile phone case next to the phone, phone on the right and card on the left with a covered magnetic fastener.  From March this year until a week ago I was using it with few problems but suddenly it stopped being recognised as a contactless card - no payment rejection or anything, just the terminal not 'seeing' the card, it was as if I was just waving a piece of cardboard at the reader.  This first happened on a bus but then did the same at a couple of supermarkets.  I ordered a new card and while waiting for it I have been using a different credit card (different bank, and now Mastercard as the first was Visa), keeping it in the same place the first one lived in.

This second card has now done exactly the same after less than a week. Paid contactless ok in a car park, but gone to use it on a bus and again it was like I was waving a piece of cardboard at the terminal.  I then tried at a couple of supermarkets and again there was no response from the terminal.   I rang the card provider and they can see no issues with my account in anyway.  There is no visible damage to the card and both have been kept in the same place next to my phone.  

Wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar and what can be done to fix it?  There is nothing wrong with my accounts, I haven't exceeded any contactless limits - it is more like the contactless feature has suddenly disabled itself.  I'm not aware of the contactless feature being wiped for being next to a phone or a magnet. but am lost as to what is causing this.

jonesMUFCforever

Keep the cards away from the phone would be the obvious answer or be prepared to enter your pin every time.

molerat

Looks like something in the phone or phone case is killing the RFID on the card. I know a few people who keep their card inside a flexible phone cover with no ill effect.

whitesmith

Keeping the card next to the phone will not cause loss of contactless facility.

Silly question, but if you use it by entering the PIN does the contactless then return?

fb1969

Thanks for the replies so far.  I had thought that the phone was causing a problem but didn't think it could effectively kill the chip.  Also I couldn't see why all had been fine until last week.  Wondering if the phone has a fault that is wiping the contactless feature.

Not a silly question @whitesmith.  When the contactless isn't seen it will pay as normal using chip and pin, but contactless still hasn't worked afterwards.  Today was ok contactless in a car park, didn't work on a bus (so paid cash instead), didn't work in a CoOp so paid chip and pin, didn't work in Waitrose (paid chip and pin). 

colsten

Why not use ApplePay or GooglePay for your contactless transactions?

whitesmith

you could try going to an atm and using 'unlock pin' - yes it shouldn't make any difference but others have reported it resets the contactless feature.

fb1969

" Why not use ApplePay or GooglePay for your contactless transactions?"

Personal preference I'd prefer not to use either of those. 

fb1969

whitesmith said:

you could try going to an atm and using 'unlock pin' - yes it shouldn't make any difference but others have reported it resets the contactless feature.

I did read that while searching, indirectly I've done that without knowing.  The card worked ok yesterday morning but in the afternoon I went to an atm to get a balance, then this morning went as I above.  

RG2015

colsten said:

Why not use ApplePay or GooglePay for your contactless transactions?

What is the relevance of this to the OP's question about their contactless card ceasing to work?

Update: Okay, I have re-read the first post and I can see this as a solution, but it does not answer why two cards have lost their contactless function.

fb1969

RG2015 said:

Update: Okay, I have re-read the first post and I can see this as a solution, but it does not answer why two cards have lost their contactless function.

That's the puzzle.  Nothing makes any (logical) sense to me.  If the phone is causing it, why was it ok from March until a week ago?  The casing around the magnet in the clip has worn quite a bit, but the magnet shouldn't be causing it - and there is no visible damage to the card as if the magnet had pushed into it.