Contactless Credit cards - safe

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I'm all about convenience. I rarely take out my credit cards anymore. Any merchant that has a contactless chip reader (which is most), I use my Fitbit Versa 3 watch which has a built-in NFC chip. I simply flash it at the terminal, grab my receipt and go.. Quick and easy! My receipt shows a fake assigned number (last 4 digits) that's different from my actual CC number. I used to use Apple Pay with my iPhone, but since I got the watch, which was free courtesy of Humana, my Medicare provider, I find it to be the quickest and easiest yet.

 

[Deuce]

I use Apple Pay from my iPhone or my Apple Watch.

 

[disneysteve]

Do any of you still get those embossed cards? Their only use was for the physical machines that make a carbon copy!

Our Chase Freedom card and BOA debit card are embossed. Our Discover cards and Marriott Visa (also from Chase) are not.

 

[Chuckanut]

Chip-n-pin requires one to enter the pin. What about the tap cards? Is it tap, then enter the pin? Or just tap?

In the USA I am certain it is just tap. What about other countries where the Pin number is used?

 

[disneysteve]

Chip-n-pin requires one to enter the pin. What about the tap cards? Is it tap, then enter the pin? Or just tap?

In the USA I am certain it is just tap. What about other countries where the Pin number is used?

Just tap. No PIN. Also no PIN when I insert the card. I never have to enter a PIN and very rarely have to sign.

 

[ArmchairMillionaire23]

Okay so I am always the last to adopt anything but my new Amazon visa came with contactless feature and they refuse to give me one without it.

Debating if I should cancel the card but suspect I am being ridiculous.

Okay so immediately after I post this I find a relevant thread: https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...ontactless-new-card-email-mystery-106920.html

But does that then mean you cannot insert the card, you MUST BE contactless?

Mine quit working a month or so after I got it. So I have to swipe or insert it just like any other card. It's kind of cool that it's a metal card, though. Except that I won't be able to put it through the shredder once it expires, I guess.

 

[misanman]

Except that I won't be able to put it through the shredder once it expires, I guess.

Chase recommends mailing the old card back and they include an envelope with the new card for that purpose.

 

[disneysteve]

Mine quit working a month or so after I got it. So I have to swipe or insert it just like any other card.

I’d call and request a new card.

 

[old medic]

Discover just sent me my 1st contactless card. Its stuck in the cabinet with the rest of the CCs.... I only carry my bank card unless traveling or going to make a specific purchase.
And of course cash... probably 90% of my purchases is in cash

 

[Alan]

We use them in London nearly exclusively unless the purchase is over the limit.

Did you use them on the Underground? You no longer have to fuss about buying multi use tickets to save money you simply tap your card as you enter a tube station then tap when you leave. No matter how many zones you cross zones or the number of journeys you make in a day, as long as you use the same card, it tracks it all and charges your card next day. It works with US contactless cards as well.

This is similar to everywhere in the UK on buses and trains, plus we all used our contactless cards on the Paris metro when on a family holiday in 2019.

We often visit my wife’s sister in Edinburgh where after 2 bus journeys in a day it is free and the contactless CC works great there as well, just tap on as you board.

 

[brett]

We tap for just about everything. I believe the limit is $250. Not certain if the retailer or the issuer fix that limit. I would say that ninety percent of our in person CC transactions are tap and go.

If we have to insert the card into a reader, a PIN is always required.

 

[braumeister]

We tap for just about everything. I believe the limit is $250. Not certain if the retailer or the issuer fix that limit. I would say that ninety percent of our in person CC transactions are tap and go.

If we have to insert the card into a reader, a PIN is always required.

Canada has an unusually high limit at C$250. I think the Euro zone is €50, and the UK is £100. The US doesn't have a statutory limit, so it's up to the card issuer.

 

[TheWizard]

Did you use them on the Underground? You no longer have to fuss about buying multi use tickets to save money you simply tap your card as you enter a tube station then tap when you leave. No matter how many zones you cross zones or the number of journeys you make in a day, as long as you use the same card, it tracks it all and charges your card next day. It works with US contactless cards as well.

This is similar to everywhere in the UK on buses and trains, plus we all used our contactless cards on the Paris metro when on a family holiday in 2019.

We often visit my wife’s sister in Edinburgh where after 2 bus journeys in a day it is free and the contactless CC works great there as well, just tap on as you board.

I used my NFC smartphone with Google Pay for the Underground two years ago with no problem.
Nice to know other cities are going the same way.

Here in the Boston area, the MBTA is "talking" about changing to a contactless, pay as you go system but for now, we still have Charlie Cards that need to be topped up every so often...

 

[disneysteve]

If we have to insert the card into a reader, a PIN is always required.

Are you talking about a credit card or debit card? I have never had to enter a PIN for a credit card transaction. I’m not even sure what the PINs are for our cards.

 

[Chuckanut]

Just tap. No PIN. Also no PIN when I insert the card. I never have to enter a PIN and very rarely have to sign.

Same here. But, what about people who live in countries where the PIN is routinely used during transactions? Does tapping still require the use of the PIN?

 

[braumeister]

Are you talking about a credit card or debit card? I have never had to enter a PIN for a credit card transaction. I’m not even sure what the PINs are for our cards.

In Europe, Canada, and many other countries, card transactions use a PIN, as opposed to the US, which still mostly requires a signature with credit cards.

 

[braumeister]

Same here. But, what about people who live in countries where the PIN is routinely used during transactions? Does tapping still require the use of the PIN?

Generally, no.

 

[brett]

We never need a PIN for tap and go.

That would defeat the purpose.

At Costco for instance, when the amount exceeds $250 (I think), tap and go will not authorize the transaction.

A message is displayed that you need to insert the card into the reader and key in your PIN.

 

[disneysteve]

In Europe, Canada, and many other countries, card transactions use a PIN, as opposed to the US, which still mostly requires a signature with credit cards.

Makes sense. Although I rarely need to sign. Only in restaurants mainly. Almost never in stores.

 

[braumeister]

Makes sense. Although I rarely need to sign. Only in restaurants mainly. Almost never in stores.

It's kind of irrelevant except when you're traveling. In Europe, if you can't use contactless, you have to insert your card in the machine and enter your PIN.

European machines don't appreciate American cards, and they will generally spit out a paper receipt that you have to sign. That's why many of us have gotten a card for travel that is PIN-priority instead of signature-priority. There aren't many of that type card available here yet. First Tech credit union is a great choice if you want to do that. When in Europe I can use that card as if it were a European card, just with the PIN.

 

[Sue J]

A couple of our credit cards are the tap version and we've been using it for a while. I just got my first smartphone, a iPhone 13 mini a few months ago. After reading this thread I decided to try the Apple Pay.

It was very easy to add a couple of credit cards and get it all set up. I ran an errand this morning and tried it for the first time in a store. It worked as expected and was very simple to use. The only glitch was that I had it set up for Face ID and I had a mask on! Redo without the mask and it worked.

Neato!

 

[badatmath]

I don't have a pin for my CC with chip. That would seem really annoying. I don't have to touch anything to shove it in the machine. I seldom sign anything, only a couple of places ask but whether it was the amount of the transaction or just their process I never gave any thought to.

 

[Dalmore]

The alternative, of course, is to leave the card at home and just carry a checkbook and a pen when you go shopping. That's perfectly fine as long as you're not in the checkout lane ahead of me.

The bad thing with using checks everywhere is that check fraud/forgery is extremely easy, as I found out recently. Once they have your name, address, routing, and account number, all of which is on any check you write, they can own you and your account. With that information they can generate a check, mark it as "draft authorized by your depositor, no signature required", and cash away. In my case they did three small withdraws, under $50, making it look like a magazine subscription so it would go unnoticed. The banks can't do anything to stop it and your only recourse is to change your checking account number....and all the ACH deposits and payments you may have associated with that account.

 

[Sue J]

Interesting that some cards are embossed and some are not. Why would any card need to be embossed now that they have all had the magnetic stripe and most now have the chip and the Tap?

I added 3 cards to my Apple Wallet -

PenFed VISA - Not embossed, mag stripe, chip, Tap, number printed on the front
Chase Freedom VISA - Embossed, mag stripe, chip, Tap
T-Mobile Money MasterCard debit card - embossed, mag stripe, chip, but no Tap

Checking out some other cards not added, rarely used and kept in a drawer -

Chase Amazon VISA (only used online for Amazon) - Not embossed, mag stripe, chip and Tap, number printed on the back
PenFed VISA (no longer used) Not embossed, mag stripe, chip, Tap, number printed on the front
Local b&m bank MasterCard debit card - Not embossed, mag stripe, chip, Tap, number printed on the back

Looking at the random assortment of cards we have I like the non-embossed ones with the number on the back. Curious why anyone would issue embossed cards. These embossed ones are not old, they are fairly recent.

 

[braumeister]

Curious why anyone would issue embossed cards.

Believe it or not, I was at a small local restaurant in a very rural part of Montana last year when the power went out. It was OK because we were eating on an open air patio and it was still afternoon. The cashier apologized and said it was OK because they were prepared for such things.

She reached under the counter and pulled out one of the old credit card machines that runs across your embossed card to imprint it on a paper receipt.

As it happened, we and all the other patrons had at least one older embossed card with us, so we paid the old fashioned way and left with our carbon copy receipt. All was well, and the charge showed up on the account within a few days just like normal.

I wonder how much longer such an emergency measure is going to work! But even with the non-embossed cards, they can still write down the numbers.