Santander debit card contactless limit

Devongardener

Following an MSE email about setting contactless card limits to less than the new £100 limit, I logged onto the mobile app to try to do this.  As there is no obvious section covering cards limits I started an online chat only to keep getting the answer that only MasterCard limits can be changed online.  I did more research on the main Santander website where it says that they only offer self chosen limits on MasterCards and that the only way to have a card with a limit below £100 is to have a debit card replaced by a MasterCard!   This seems ridiculous,  has anyone managed to reduce their debit card contactless limit by visiting a branch?

penners324

Have you got a Mastercard debit card?

penners324

The article says Santander Mastercard debit or credit cards only. I assume that means if you have a visa debit or credit card with Santander you can't change jt

Devongardener

Thanks but I wonder why that is when other banks offer lower limits.   I only ever carry my debit card so that’s more likely to be lost and open to a thief spending hundreds before I’m aware it’s gone.  

Daliah

Ate you looking for a way to get £100 from Santander?

Devongardener

Er no!  I just want my contactless limit lowered to the £45 (?) limit it was before. 

Daliah

Devongardener said:

Er no!  I just want my contactless limit lowered to the £45 (?) limit it was before. 

If you are desperate to be able to control your contactless limit. you can switch your account to a bank which offers you to set your own limits (within limits). Try Starling Bank or LBG, or may be others have other suggestions. Though TBH, I don't know what the issue is - can you elaborate please?

Without pre-empting your response: one way of increasing the security of contactless cards is not to carry a physical card ever, but instead use your phone/smartwatch. It's what I have been doing for years - -  all my cards 'live' in my home safe permanently. I have had no fraudulent transactions ever, x fingers.

eskbanker

Devongardener said:

Thanks but I wonder why that is when other banks offer lower limits.   I only ever carry my debit card so that’s more likely to be lost and open to a thief spending hundreds before I’m aware it’s gone.  

....so if your Santander Visa debit card was, ahem, 'lost', chances are it would be replaced by a current issue Mastercard, job done!

penners324

Except there is a limit of £200 for contactless. You could go to just using your phone, but my fairly new phone's battery doesn't last much beyond mid afternoon, if  can't recharge it....

penners324

Or just break or lose your visa debit card and get a Mastercard debit card as a replacement 

Lightning360

I didn't even realise this was a thing. I think Santander only brought it in a few days ago. To do it, you have to ask the chat bot. It was very quickly to do, but maybe it's own setting in the app would be slightly better?