Tap to Pay credit cards

[BeachOrCity]

Maybe it is just me, but for things like passwords and paying by credit card. I think it is best to "SLOW DOWN" for the transaction. The faster one does it the more likely something they did not intend slips by, like entering password on a pfishing site, or not looking a the bill closely enough.

The slowness of the process reinforces taking time to look closely at what one is doing. Sure you can always decide to slow down, but human nature would sometimes nudge one to "hurry up".

For this reason I don't use autofill for any password linked to finances, payments, etc. And I am happy to wait the 3-4 seconds for chip read.

 

[Alan]

Maybe it is just me, but for things like passwords and paying by credit card. I think it is best to "SLOW DOWN" for the transaction. The faster one does it the more likely something they did not intend slips by, like entering password on a pfishing site, or not looking a the bill closely enough.

The slowness of the process reinforces taking time to look closely at what one is doing. Sure you can always decide to slow down, but human nature would sometimes nudge one to "hurry up".

For this reason I don't use autofill for any password linked to finances, payments, etc. And I am happy to wait the 3-4 seconds for chip read.

It doesn’t matter how slowly I sign the credit card receipt, it is never checked anyway, so I don’t see how this improves security over tap to pay.

 

[kaneohe]

I don't think $400 is a hard limit. I know we've charged more than $400 at Costco and it was using the Costco Visa. And the card WAS tapped, not inserted.

Thanks for pointing that out............didn't realize the Costco card was like that.
How do you know if the terminal accepts tapping?

 

[mpeirce]

Thanks for pointing that out............didn't realize the Costco card was like that.
How do you know if the terminal accepts tapping?

Our Costco does.

The Costco checker already has my Costco card in their hand (to check I’m a Costco member) then they ask if I want to put the purchase on that card. Ayup. So they place it ON the terminal and it beeps.

That’s how it works here in Columbus at least.

Other store terminals display a logo. One that looks like a WiFi icon. Usually an Apple Pay logo too.

 

[FIYes]

I use Samsung Pay whenever I can. It easier to grab my phone than pull out a credit card. Since Samsung Pay requires a fingerprint, Face ID, or pin I feel that it is slightly more secure. Since Samsung Pay on my phone uses both NFC and MST technology it works with almost all terminals. At the grocery the cashier told that Apple Pay didn’t work with their terminals but Samsung Pay does.
In Europe we were on a bus that only accepted contactless pay.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks for pointing that out............didn't realize the Costco card was like that.
How do you know if the terminal accepts tapping?

At Costco? Yes.

 

[6miths]

I don't think $400 is a hard limit. I know we've charged more than $400 at Costco and it was using the Costco Visa. And the card WAS tapped, not inserted.

This is Costco in Canada. $400 is hard limit here but has been going up. Costco Canada uses MasterCard.

 

[Elbata]

Ever stand in line at the check-out and someone is using a check to pay?

I have the Amazon Prime visa. Do they make a "tap to pay" card?

I use my Apple Watch to board on Southwest. It's kinda trippy and fun.

 

[camfused]

Two negatives I see with these cards (I have one of them):
1) You *need* to have an RFID shielded wallet, or a shield sleeve. This will help prevent unauthorized scanning of your card by mean people. I got an RFID shielding wallet from Amazon, which works great. It happens to be less than half the thickness of my old wallet, which was also a benefit.
2) It mostly works, but at one or two stores is my area (The Fresh Market, for one), when I hold the card over the symbol, it says transaction denied. And, a few days later, I get a letter from my CU that says there has been suspicious activity on the card, and I need to call Visa. So, be aware that it may not work at all stores.

I do like them though! Anytime I don't need to touch something germy in a store, is a good thing.

 

[Bestwifeever]

RFID theft is nowhere near my worry radar: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3199009/why-you-dont-need-an-rfid-blocking-wallet.html

RFID wallets, sleeves and clothing are security snake oil. You don't need RFID protection because there is no RFID crime....

...in over a decade, not a single crime involving an RFID-enabled device has been reported in the public domain. I don’t just mean credit card crime. I mean no real RFID-enabled crime ever! There have been hundreds of millions of credit cards stolen in the same timeframe and likely billions of financial crimes, and not a single real RFID theft. It’s not that it can’t be done. The videos prove it can. But there is a huge gulf in the world of threats and risks between what can be done and what is likely to be done.
....
Second-generation RFID-enabled credit cards encrypt and protect the information they transmit. Not all RFID-enabled cards are second generation and protected, but first-generation cards haven’t been created for many years, and so the supply of them is dwindling every day.

All my tap to pay CCs are less than a year old so pretty sure we’re good.

 

[6miths]

RFID theft is nowhere near my worry radar: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3199009/why-you-dont-need-an-rfid-blocking-wallet.html

Yes same here. I do have a cool 5-card Secrid metal sleeve wallet but that is just because it is cool.

 

[camfused]

RFID theft is nowhere near my worry radar: https://www.csoonline.com/article/3199009/why-you-dont-need-an-rfid-blocking-wallet.html

I'll stick with my shielded solution. I disagree with some of this article. The TV (maybe it was NBC news) ran a report recently where this guy walked around an airport stealing people's numbers, showing them how easy it was.

 

[scrabbler1]

I just got one of those tap cards last month. I have used it twice at my local supermarket. I knew I could use it that way because on the terminal it says, "Insert or tap card" or something similar. So, I tapped it and it worked fine, nice and fast! It was new to the cashier, so she thought I wasn't using my card correctly when I just tapped it. I had to quickly explain to her the card I had and how it is used differently and how she should expect to see more of these. She acknowledged what I said and completed my transaction and I went on my way.

 

[kcowan]

Surely you have to enter a PIN, right? Otherwise, anyone could use your card, right?

Each retailer has a limit over which the PIN is necessary. Otherwise just tap and go.

 

[kcowan]

Wow. I could save tens of seconds. Whatever will I do with my new spare time?

It is the time saved in line as a result of easy settlement for those ahead of you.

 

[Jerry1]

It also lessens the chance of losing your card since you don’t have the risk of leaving it in the machine after entering your pin or signing a bit of paper. You don’t even need to take the card out of your wallet, just place it against the reader at the till. It is great for use on buses in the UK and Europe as mentioned above, really speeds up the flow of passengers getting on

So I guess that RFID protecting wallet wasn't a great purchase for me. I assume it would block you're ability to pay without removing from your wallet. Also, what if there is more than one card in your wallet?

For the record, I'm a Neanderthal, I just started using Apple Pay when I think about it. I do like it. I always have my phone me and easy to access. It would be also easy to just get my wallet out if I didn't have to open it or remove the card. The thing I like about Apple Pay is the security. Does it work the same with Tap cards? I like that a merchant doesn't actually store my credit card information with Apple Pay.

 

[camfused]

Update: I have a PenFed Visa card with RFID. The RFID works most places, but there are a couple of places (a local supermarket, and Target) where when I use the RFID, an error message comes up on the terminal, and I then have to use the chip instead. Visa then contacts me that there was suspicious activity on the card, and I have to clear this up within 30 days or the card goes dead. This has happened 3 times now.

So, I contacted Visa and told them what is happening. PenFed had already sent me a replacement card after this happened the 2nd time. Visa said there was nothing they could do about it, since something is triggering security parameters for possible fraudulent activity, and to contact PenFed. So, I did. The PenFed rep (after I finally got them to understand that I was talking about the RFID and not the chip), put me on hold for a minute while he checked with someone. He came back and said this is a known problem. They rolled out the RFID cards a little too quickly and something on their end is not quite ready yet (unfortunately, no real technical details). He said it should work much better after sometime in October.

So, I am not going to use the RFID until later this year, and just use the chip until then.

FYI, and just passing this on for fellow PenFed users.

I do hope they work out the kinks soon, since I like using the RFID. Also, I am doing an Italy/Paris trip in the spring and would like to use it over there.

 

[easysurfer]

I used a commuter card recently where I just need to tap to pay then I go through the turnstile entrance. Was convenient compared to fishing for coins or having to insert the card first.

Plus, I have to card set to replenish automatically so I didn't have to go to the vending machine to add more cash like some of the other suckers .

 

[Alan]

I used a commuter card recently where I just need to tap to pay then I go through the turnstile entrance. Was convenient compared to fishing for coins or having to insert the card first.

Plus, I have to card set to replenish automatically so I didn't have to go to the vending machine to add more cash like some of the other suckers .

We are off to London and Paris in November and I’m assured by friends that a regular tap and go credit card works well. The tap and go commuter card in London, Oyster, costs £7 to buy the card before you begin to load up so tourists are advised to simply use their contactless credit and debit cards unless they are going to be there a lot and buy enough trips to overcome the initial card fee.

 

[easysurfer]

We are off to London and Paris in November and I’m assured by friends that a regular tap and go credit card works well. The tap and go commuter card in London, Oyster, costs £7 to buy the card before you begin to load up so tourists are advised to simply use their contactless credit and debit cards unless they are going to be there a lot and buy enough trips to overcome the initial card fee.

Once I got over the doubt of "Is that tap and go commuter card really going to work?", I'm a happy customer .

 

[brett]

We used tap extensively in Australia last Feb. We have been using it at home in Canada for at least the past two years.

We used it twice in Greece today and many times over the past few weeks.

Tap depends on the amount. For larger amounts we are asked to use pin instead of simply tapping.