Contactless transactions

kah22

I’ve just received a new Credit and Debit (M&S and Bank of Ireland (Uk)). I felt the last ones had been comprised and requested new ones
The question is this. Must I have contactless payment attached to these cards: I don’t want it!  I’ve heard of people who treated to close their bank accounts if they couldn’t get a non contactless card.
I do carry some cash with.me but most purchases I make are done via M&S credit card and as my phone has Face ID I feel that’s secure enough
Sure the card companies will tell you that if the card goes missing and someone goes around the town tapping away they’ll give you your money back but I’d rather they don’t have to do that
Can the card company insist I have to have a contactless card  

tightauldgit

They can't insist you have a contactless card, you can choose not to have the card, but there's no rule that says they have to offer you a non-contactless card if you ask for one. It's up to the card provider/bank what they choose to offer. I know a few years ago quite a few banks would offer people who asked them a non-contactless card but I don't know who still does or doesn't in 2023. 

If you think your phone is secure enough then you should be able to set up your card on your phone so you don't have to physically carry the card with you. 

Equally with the bank debit card you can just leave it at home or destroy it if you aren't going to use it. 

If you really want a non-contactless card then you'll have to ask if they provide one and if not switch to someone who will. Personally I don't think it's worth the hassle, and I'm perfectly happy with contactless payments, but each to their own. 

user1977

I'm not aware of any rule that they must offer you a non-contactless card, if that's what you mean? Have you asked them for a non-contactless option?

sevenhills

I asked for a non-contactless card with Nationwide. The advantage of contactless is that you don't put your card in the machine, so you cannot lose it.

I have now gone back to contactless.

Alderbank

kah22 said:

So question: it’s my money and can they refuse to issue me with a non-contactless card? 

So answer: it's your money and it's their card.

It's the Bank's card which they offer to lend to you to make your life easier. They don't have to give sell lend you any cards at all, and some customers don't get them.
If you complain they can tell you to Nigel Farage and bank elsewhere.

it's not Customer Rights either since there is no contract to buy involved. There is some discussion about the topic over on the  Budgeting & bank accounts page, such as this one: 
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6294314/can-i-insist-on-a-non-contactless-card-from-my-bank

There as well, the answer is No

Brie

While there is no rule that says they must offer you a non-contactless card most CC companies have the ability to turn off the contactlessness if they so desire.   Normally in the past this has been due to too many claims for unrecognised payments. 

TELLIT01

I've just looked on the Lloyds Bank website and you can freeze contactless transactions.  I haven't looked in detail and don't know if you can retain all other functionality at the same time.

molerat

You would need to check in the app / on line portal to see if you can restrict contactless.  LBG cards can be micro managed as to the availability of certain card functions.

RefluentBeans

As others have said - ask the bank if it’s a function they offer. I doubt that they many have a contactless free version now (but maybe they do). If they can’t Lloyds can allow ‘contactless’ to be frozen. 

As another note - if you want a contactless free card, but the bank doesn’t provide them, and you limit your contactless transactions, this will also stop Apple Pay too unfortunately. 

If you have Apple Pay, you can just leave your card at home as others have said. Or just get an RFID wallet/purse/enclosure. This will stop the contactless whilst passing people issue, which I assume is what the concern is. Can pick them up off Amazon for a couple of quid for just the card sheath. Some banks used to provide them in their branches, but that was a while ago so I don’t know if they still do nowadays 

born_again

kah22 said:

I’ve just received a new Credit and Debit (M&S and Bank of Ireland (Uk)). I felt the last ones had been comprised and requested new ones
The question is this. Must I have contactless payment attached to these cards: I don’t want it!  I’ve heard of people who treated to close their bank accounts if they couldn’t get a non contactless card.
I do carry some cash with.me but most purchases I make are done via M&S credit card and as my phone has Face ID I feel that’s secure enough
Sure the card companies will tell you that if the card goes missing and someone goes around the town tapping away they’ll give you your money back but I’d rather they don’t have to do that
Can the card company insist I have to have a contactless card  

1st off, cards cannot be compromised just on the basis that they have the contactless facility.

The answer to that is not to lose your card. As that is the only way this can happen.
Never seen a case of a cloned contactless card since they were introduced.

Not all banks will allow non contactless cards, due to their deal with the card providers & how their systems work.
Many frontline staff do not know how to request a non contactless card, as they are told not to offer them. Despite it being a very simple process if the system allows.

prettyandfluffy

born_again said:

Never seen a case of a cloned contactless card since they were introduced.

About 3 weeks ago I was notified by my bank of a a contactless transaction for €5.99. The transaction was carried out in Berlin.  I've never been to Berlin and was at home in the U.K. at the time and had my card in my possession. I was baffled and still am as to how this could have happened but I got my card stopped and replaced straight away and there's been nothing further.