Debit Card with nominal balance

Auti

Chase ? I have chase and you can have a pot called day to day and set to money is only spent from that pot - you decide how much you put in that pot and when it is spent the transaction is declined. Chase is app based so on phone and also get a card. I use my phone and it will not authorise transaction for any amount unless my face is recognised by my phone or my pin is inputted ( settings set up on my phone). I am confident in this account as I get alerts when money spent and if there was unauthorised the alert would tell me and i can instantly block card. 

Just a though - using Chase protects my main account with another bank.

caveman38

Thanks for all the help/advice/info. She is going for the Tesco Clubcard Pay+ (at least for the time being). As already suggested, with a small balance, it poses no great inconvenience or concern if stolen. 
I'm afraid she has more concern of these things than I have (we are both 70+) and in this rapidly changing world, cash is being phased out in many places and apps replacing them ie. car parks, leisure centres etc.
She can't change those things, but make the alternatives as comfortable as possible.
Again, many thanks.

Nasqueron

GeoffTF said:

Martico said:

If she carries her phone with her, then the above suggestion of Apple/ Google Pay would seem to be the easiest solution. Phone has to be unlocked before paying, so as secure as a PIN

Google's documentation for Google Pay says that you do not have to unlock your phone to make a payment below the contactless limit "which depends on the jurisdiction" (it may also depend on the bank). Above the contactless limit, the default behaviour is to require the phone to be unlocked. That has the risk that the phone may be stolen when it is unlocked. In the US, at least, there is a way to ensure that payments over the contactless limit can be authenticated without unlocking the phone. I have always taken the view that it is safer to pay by card.

Android, as with iOS has to work with rules in different countries. I have only ever used Google Pay but my old phone did allow you, if you wanted, to pay by tapping without unlocking, it was a setting you could toggle. It should be off by default but it is possible to allow it, I suspect it's similar to say Garmin Pay on your smart watch where you have nothing to unlock

NoodleDoodleMan

A Chase debit card would be my choice in this scenario - you can check the balance and transactions easily via the app - debits and credits are flagged up immediately on the mobile device.

Link the card to the 'phone wallet to make electronic payments - my iPhone needs to be in unlocked state having used the secure passcode and the passcode entered again at the wallet to allow the payment

No need to have the card physically in your possession.

If the card is lost or stolen it can be blocked using the app.

Keep a minimal amount on it for small scale purchases.

eastcorkram

Not sure why someone who is concerned about a debit card being stolen at the swimming pool, would get around the problem by taking their phone. 

DullGreyGuy

eastcorkram said:

Not sure why someone who is concerned about a debit card being stolen at the swimming pool, would get around the problem by taking their phone. 

I dont think anyone has suggested they take the phone but have asked if they do as if they are then it opens up other possibilities.

Sarahspangles

eastcorkram said:

Not sure why someone who is concerned about a debit card being stolen at the swimming pool, would get around the problem by taking their phone. 

What I’d actually like to do is take my £1 for my locker and up to £10 for the cafe.  There are similar scenarios at the beach or when out cycling.

Prepaid cards are just cash with extra steps. But I understand that leisure centres/vending machine operators don’t want to handle cash. 

GeoffTF

Nasqueron said:

GeoffTF said:

Martico said:

If she carries her phone with her, then the above suggestion of Apple/ Google Pay would seem to be the easiest solution. Phone has to be unlocked before paying, so as secure as a PIN

Google's documentation for Google Pay says that you do not have to unlock your phone to make a payment below the contactless limit "which depends on the jurisdiction" (it may also depend on the bank). Above the contactless limit, the default behaviour is to require the phone to be unlocked. That has the risk that the phone may be stolen when it is unlocked. In the US, at least, there is a way to ensure that payments over the contactless limit can be authenticated without unlocking the phone. I have always taken the view that it is safer to pay by card.

Android, as with iOS has to work with rules in different countries. I have only ever used Google Pay but my old phone did allow you, if you wanted, to pay by tapping without unlocking, it was a setting you could toggle. It should be off by default but it is possible to allow it, I suspect it's similar to say Garmin Pay on your smart watch where you have nothing to unlock

Thank you for that. That clarifies matters. Google Pay is notoriously different in different jurisdictions. Having to unlock your phone to make a contactless payment clearly adds the risk that your phone will be snatched when it is unlocked, and also adds the shoulder surfing risk if you are not using biometrics. I do not understand why anyone would consider it less risky to pay with a £500 mobile phone when they can use a card with £20 on it. I know which one I would rather risk in a swimming pool locker.

Nasqueron

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

GeoffTF said:

Martico said:

If she carries her phone with her, then the above suggestion of Apple/ Google Pay would seem to be the easiest solution. Phone has to be unlocked before paying, so as secure as a PIN

Google's documentation for Google Pay says that you do not have to unlock your phone to make a payment below the contactless limit "which depends on the jurisdiction" (it may also depend on the bank). Above the contactless limit, the default behaviour is to require the phone to be unlocked. That has the risk that the phone may be stolen when it is unlocked. In the US, at least, there is a way to ensure that payments over the contactless limit can be authenticated without unlocking the phone. I have always taken the view that it is safer to pay by card.

Android, as with iOS has to work with rules in different countries. I have only ever used Google Pay but my old phone did allow you, if you wanted, to pay by tapping without unlocking, it was a setting you could toggle. It should be off by default but it is possible to allow it, I suspect it's similar to say Garmin Pay on your smart watch where you have nothing to unlock

Thank you for that. That clarifies matters. Google Pay is notoriously different in different jurisdictions. Having to unlock your phone to make a contactless payment clearly adds the risk that your phone will be snatched when it is unlocked, and also adds the shoulder surfing risk if you are not using biometrics. I do not understand why anyone would consider it less risky to pay with a £500 mobile phone when they can use a card with £20 on it. I know which one I would rather risk in a swimming pool locker.

Being compliant with different regulatory regions isn't notorious, any more than it is for Apple or any other provider.

Your phone being snatched when unlocked in an enclosed space like a swimming pool cafe or at a till is very unlikely and the thief has to keep the phone unlocked and run into other stores to make purchases, all the while keeping the phone in hand to prevent it locking (which any security conscious person could set at a few seconds)

Risk is relative - if you live in a level of paranoia that people are hanging around swimming pools looking to snatch phones to then run and go on a spending spree then there isn't much point having anything other than a bank basic account which cannot allow OD and keeping £10 in it

GeoffTF

Nasqueron said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

GeoffTF said:

Martico said:

If she carries her phone with her, then the above suggestion of Apple/ Google Pay would seem to be the easiest solution. Phone has to be unlocked before paying, so as secure as a PIN

Google's documentation for Google Pay says that you do not have to unlock your phone to make a payment below the contactless limit "which depends on the jurisdiction" (it may also depend on the bank). Above the contactless limit, the default behaviour is to require the phone to be unlocked. That has the risk that the phone may be stolen when it is unlocked. In the US, at least, there is a way to ensure that payments over the contactless limit can be authenticated without unlocking the phone. I have always taken the view that it is safer to pay by card.

Android, as with iOS has to work with rules in different countries. I have only ever used Google Pay but my old phone did allow you, if you wanted, to pay by tapping without unlocking, it was a setting you could toggle. It should be off by default but it is possible to allow it, I suspect it's similar to say Garmin Pay on your smart watch where you have nothing to unlock

Thank you for that. That clarifies matters. Google Pay is notoriously different in different jurisdictions. Having to unlock your phone to make a contactless payment clearly adds the risk that your phone will be snatched when it is unlocked, and also adds the shoulder surfing risk if you are not using biometrics. I do not understand why anyone would consider it less risky to pay with a £500 mobile phone when they can use a card with £20 on it. I know which one I would rather risk in a swimming pool locker.

Being compliant with different regulatory regions isn't notorious, any more than it is for Apple or any other provider.

Your phone being snatched when unlocked in an enclosed space like a swimming pool cafe or at a till is very unlikely and the thief has to keep the phone unlocked and run into other stores to make purchases, all the while keeping the phone in hand to prevent it locking (which any security conscious person could set at a few seconds)

Risk is relative - if you live in a level of paranoia that people are hanging around swimming pools looking to snatch phones to then run and go on a spending spree then there isn't much point having anything other than a bank basic account which cannot allow OD and keeping £10 in it

It is not notorious that Google complies with local regulations. It is, however, notorious that Google Pay differs in different jurisdictions in ways that do not appear to mandated by local regulations.

Mobile phone theft is very common. If I carry mobile phone, I keep it well hidden away and in "Do not disturb" mode whenever possible, so that it does not announce its presence.

There is surprisingly little card fraud and the banks usually compensate for losses. Nonetheless, there have been nasty cases in which people have been forced to give up their PINs. Tesco Clubcard Pay+ is effectively an ultra-basic bank account that cannot overdraw.