Hesitations about managing credit cards via a phone app

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Looking for a Credit Card that doesn't need an app!.

Marchitiello

Brie said:

… I don't want my CCs available on my phone and would never do my online banking on the phone either.  They say it's perfectly safe but a phone is easy to lose and a pc at home is less so.  

And what would happen if you lost the phone with secured app on it? 

We have lost / got mugged (unfortunately) of few (i)phones within the family, all with multiple banking/CC app on them, and guess what, never had our banking app or card misused … It is easier to hack you pc at home than a Banking app, that is a fact 

DullGreyGuy

Brie said:
I don't want my CCs available on my phone and would never do my online banking on the phone either.  They say it's perfectly safe but a phone is easy to lose and a pc at home is less so.  

Are you possibly mixing up CC apps and digital wallets like ApplePay or GooglePay?

The two are independent and you can have a card in the digital wallet without the corresponding app and similarly have the app without the card being in the wallet. 

Assuming you do mean app then what are you concerned they do? See where you do your grocery shopping? Freeze your card?

I'd think almost all of the high street banks will have cards that meet your needs, though what they allow you to do via messaging/chat may be limited with some options. 

[Deleted User]

Brie said:

The ones I have all seem to tick the boxes you have
Barclaycard
M&S
MBNA (2 versions)
Santander

Because of how I use the various cards I get paper statements from some and just go online for the others.  I don't have a phone app despite the constant banging on by some banks to get them.  I don't want my CCs available on my phone and would never do my online banking on the phone either.  They say it's perfectly safe but a phone is easy to lose and a pc at home is less so.  

Haven't needed to talk/query MBNA for a few years but their messaging service is gone as is Barclays and M&S.  Don't think Santander ever had one.  But all have chat online options which mostly work.  Until yesterday when the chat for Santander pointed me in the wrong direction on how to resolve a transaction dispute and I needed to ring in. Took 4 calls and forever but that was due to my registered phone with them - my mobile - kept cutting out / dropping the signal so I had to start from scratch.  In the end I used the land line and the chap sorted everything out quickly and painlessly after ensuring he had a number to call me back if the connection was lost again (it wasn't).

Cards are easy to lose/steal and far easier for you to lose money on, particularly if you refuse to use banking apps. If you and I were both pickpocketed for our wallets, I could freeze my cards instantly on the apps and potentially not even have the issue of having to get money back, you would be at the mercy of the call centre waiting times while the thief went around spending. 

With payment like google pay or apple pay, it requires biometric security like fingerprint or face ID to open the payment or verify payments which cards do not have. Similarly banks using 2FA in app form to approve payments for things that are unusual - obviously they can be done on text but reception issues can cause delays and payment failures

[Deleted User]

01NSkinner said:

Thanks for on topic replies. Halifax, Nationwide, Barclaycard, M&S, MBNA, Santander and Coop Credit Cards. That's a good list of cards that don't demand you use an app. Any suggestions from that list for the best company, ideally paper free statements, ideally who make contact as easy as possible.

I don't know about CC apps and digital wallets and biometric security: I'm not sure that's as helpful about the purpose of this thread. Maybe a new thread needs starting about those?

Any on-topic suggestions or recommendations would be appreciated.

This is the reality of modern banking - phone apps for security for example need a smart phone. There will be an ever decreasing number of providers who will be willing to do things like paper statements (particularly due to the fraud risk alongside the environmental cost of requiring printing and posting things) as well as avoiding using apps etc.

Alex9384

For me it's not a security concern but the fact that we are being pushed to rely on apps for everything. Why in the world are people following this like sheep? It's fine to have apps in addition to physical cards and online banking, but there are people who say they do everything on phones and they wouldn't miss physical cards or online banking. One thing is if you miss something, another thing is not having an alternative option at all.

[Deleted User]

Alex9384 said:

For me it's not a security concern but the fact that we are being pushed to rely on apps for everything. Why in the world are people following this like sheep? It's fine to have apps in addition to physical cards and online banking, but there are people who say they do everything on phones and they wouldn't miss physical cards or online banking. One thing is if you miss something, another thing is not having an alternative option at all.

One could equally refer to people insisting on old world practices like dead tree statements as Luddites just as you call people who embrace new tech sheep. I have cards in a wallet as needed but it's much easier for me to have everything on a phone protected by fingerprint so if I am out say on a bike for a few hours, I don't need to also carry a card nor do I have to worry about it being stolen and used before it could be blocked. People who want the convenience an app and phone brings, without needing physical cards or a computer are not being pushed into doing anything

Alex9384

Deleted_User said:

One could equally refer to people insisting on old world practices like dead tree statements as Luddites just as you call people who embrace new tech sheep. I have cards in a wallet as needed but it's much easier for me to have everything on a phone protected by fingerprint so if I am out say on a bike for a few hours, I don't need to also carry a card nor do I have to worry about it being stolen and used before it could be blocked. People who want the convenience an app and phone brings, without needing physical cards or a computer are not being pushed into doing anything

That's not what I said. Saying that people are following like sheep is not the same as that they are sheep. Blind following of trends is an undeniable fact. Also, online banking is not an old practice. Phone can never replace a large screen and physical keyboard and mouse.
Have you ever noticed how everything is being designed for phones? Just look at Facebook or Youtube. With those button-like icons and large spaces between them. Why do we need this when people have FB and YT apps?

I don't mind if you want to only use your phone for everything but as soon as companies start making phone-only products at the expense of everything else, it starts bothering me quite a lot. I don't want to have my whole life in one device, do you understand this simple thing? Not to mention that you're relying on something that needs battery. App-only banks say you don't rely on their app because you can login on your computer too. But logging in requires the app, lol! With Starling for example, you need to scan a QR code from your laptop screen. If only they knew that other banks are able to do it without apps....

born_again

Deleted_User said:

Brie said:

The ones I have all seem to tick the boxes you have
Barclaycard
M&S
MBNA (2 versions)
Santander

Because of how I use the various cards I get paper statements from some and just go online for the others.  I don't have a phone app despite the constant banging on by some banks to get them.  I don't want my CCs available on my phone and would never do my online banking on the phone either.  They say it's perfectly safe but a phone is easy to lose and a pc at home is less so.  

Haven't needed to talk/query MBNA for a few years but their messaging service is gone as is Barclays and M&S.  Don't think Santander ever had one.  But all have chat online options which mostly work.  Until yesterday when the chat for Santander pointed me in the wrong direction on how to resolve a transaction dispute and I needed to ring in. Took 4 calls and forever but that was due to my registered phone with them - my mobile - kept cutting out / dropping the signal so I had to start from scratch.  In the end I used the land line and the chap sorted everything out quickly and painlessly after ensuring he had a number to call me back if the connection was lost again (it wasn't).

Cards are easy to lose/steal and far easier for you to lose money on, particularly if you refuse to use banking apps. If you and I were both pickpocketed for our wallets, I could freeze my cards instantly on the apps and potentially not even have the issue of having to get money back, you would be at the mercy of the call centre waiting times while the thief went around spending. 

With payment like google pay or apple pay, it requires biometric security like fingerprint or face ID to open the payment or verify payments which cards do not have. Similarly banks using 2FA in app form to approve payments for things that are unusual - obviously they can be done on text but reception issues can cause delays and payment failures

Spot on.
Reminds me of people that do not like cards as they can lose as above & someone uses them. They say they would rather carry cash.
Easily countered with. What happens if you get mugged & they take the cash? Do you get it back? = No. At least if your card is taken you get your money back.