Contactless Payment....

[ferlew]

was offered this last week when I went out for a meal... could anyone explain in simple terms please?

[rockyracoon]

It's a debit card that you just hold to a reader, no need for a pin number.

[ferlew]

Is it safe though?

[rockyracoon]

Supposed to be, I won't be in a rush to get one though.

[furrypusscat]

M & S use contactless payment. They say if your purchase is up to £20, you don't need to enter your pin. I disagree with this as if you lose your card then someone could keep going in and spending £20, you've soon lost £100. It goes against the safety and security of using pin numbers to access payment.

[ferlew]

Bliddy heck, you never know - do you?

[237SJ]

If you have a debit card with a symbol on it that resembles the wi-fi signal symbol then you have the facility for contactless payment. The upper limit is around £20 and you just tap the card against the reader - you don`t have to use your PIN.

[ferlew]

Faraday cage?????

[furrypusscat]

Applies to Debit and Credit cards.

[New Judge]

Faraday cage (named after Michael Farady) - an enclosure made of conducting material that conducts external electrical fields, keeping safe the contents from damage by those fields (recalled from memory - 'O' Level Physics - not cribbed). An aircraft acts as a Faraday cage when struck by lightning.

[ferlew]

Off to get cash now..... ta :)

[dzug2]

.. someone could keep going in and spending £20, ..

too many payments in quick succession and it starts demanding a PIN

No idea what 'too many' is though