Contactless payments
Understanding contactless payments on credit cards
Contactless payments have become an increasingly popular way to pay at the checkout. Here, we cover how contactless payments work on credit and debit cards
Contactless payments have become an increasingly popular way to pay at the checkout. Here, we cover how contactless payments work on credit and debit cards
A contactless payment is paying for something by tapping or waving your contactless device (usually your credit card, debit card or smartphone) over a reader, which then accepts the payment. It allows you to make low-value payments quickly, rather than entering your PIN (personal identification number).
You can set up your credit card or debit card for contactless payments on the card itself (through your bank), with your mobile phone, smart watch or other contactless device. Contactless payments are also often referred to as ‘tap-and-go' by some banks and retailers.
Contactless payment cards have a chip inside them that emits radio waves. An antenna is built into the plastic to secure the connection with a contactless reader. This is known as radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.
To pay for something with a contactless credit or debit card, you hold the card near a payment terminal (known as an RFID reader) and it picks up the signal, communicates with the card and processes the payment. If you’re paying with a credit card the charge will then be added to your card balance which will then show on your credit card statement. You’ll need to pay off your balance each month to avoid paying interest charges.
The payment terminal will say if the payment was successful or not. Sometimes it doesn’t work, and you’ll need to use your PIN instead. If you’ve used your credit card and the payment was declined, you may have reached your credit card limit.
Whether you’re using your debit card or credit card, the contactless payment works in the same way. Here’s how to use a contactless payment card step-by-step:
The limit for a contactless transaction increased from £45 to £100 on 15 October 2021. Any card transactions higher than £100 will still need you to enter your PIN. The increased contactless limit aims to make transactions speedier and more convenient, with contactless becoming a more popular payment option at the checkout.
If you pay with your mobile phone, you can pay contactless for amounts up to £100. If you’re spending between £100 and £300, you can touch and pay by entering your PIN into your phone. To pay with your smart watch, you’ll usually need to press the side button to pay with contactless.
Contactless payments have become more common. This was particularly true during the COVID-19 pandemic. It means you should be able to pay using this method in most retailers. This includes most shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, and even automated services like vending machines.
Some places also allow contactless payments to be used on public transport – for example, in London you can use your phone or contactless card to pay for travel on buses, tubes and trams.
Data provided by UK Finance, based on credit and debit card transactions in July 2021, accurate as of October 2021
There are several pros and cons that come with paying with contactless, including:
There are risks associated with contactless payments, such as:
When you receive your contactless card in the post, you’ll need to make a Chip and PIN payment to activate it as you would with any other bank card before you use contactless for the first time.
There’ll usually be a sticker on the front of your new card, with a telephone number of the activation line. Some banks also allow you to activate your card in a branch using a paying-in terminal or cash machine. Then you’ll just need to make a normal chip and PIN payment for your first payment and from there, your contactless card should automatically work.
If you’re looking to set up contactless on other devices like your phone, you should be given instructions by your provider on how to do this. For Apple phones, for example, you may be asked to use your fingerprint or facial recognition to activate contactless.
The chip on your contactless card can protect you against fraudulent activity. The chip uses a sophisticated system of unique codes and electronic signatures every time a payment is made, which reduces the likelihood that your card details can be cloned or intercepted.
Your bank will contact you if they spot any suspicious activity on your account. You’ll also be asked from time-to-time to input your PIN after making a series of contactless payments, to improve your account’s security.
Concerned that your contactless card has been lost in the post? If your card hasn’t arrived within 10 days of ordering it, contact your bank. That way, you can check if it’s been stolen or lost, and discuss alternative options like cancelling your card and getting it sent to your nearest branch.
Looking for more information on credit card safety? Our guide explains how credit card protection works.
Most credit cards offer contactless payments and if you’re looking for your next credit card, MoneySuperMarket is here to help. We compare deals from the UK’s leading card providers to find you the best deal to suit you.
To find out which cards you'll be accepted for without affecting your credit score, try our quick and easy eligibility checker. You’ll see your personalised chance of approval for all credit cards, so you can easily compare your options and make an informed decision before you apply.
If your contactless card doesn’t work, you should contact your card provider and request a replacement.
If you’re trying to pay for something and your contactless payment doesn’t work, just insert your card and enter your PIN for the transaction to go through.
If you’d prefer to opt out of having a contactless credit card, it’s best to contact your bank or card provider. Whether you can opt out of having a contactless card will depend on who you bank with. If the bank isn’t able to let you ‘opt out’ of contactless it may be worth comparing credit cards, to find a provider that better suits your preferences.
When you make a contactless payment, your transaction will show on your bank or credit card statement with the universal contactless wave symbol next to it.
It’s wise to keep an eye on your payment history, just as you would with chip and PIN transactions and bank transfers. If you notice anything suspicious or unfamiliar contact your bank immediately.
Being charged twice for one transaction when paying with contactless is highly unlikely. This is because once you’ve placed your card or smartphone on the card reader, the transaction is complete.
Payment terminals have been designed to prevent you paying for the same thing twice, so the chances of you getting charged double are highly unlikely.
Some terminals will ask you to only present one card if it can detect two, while others might cancel the transaction entirely to avoid overcharging.
You should be able to use your contactless card abroad if the option to pay with contactless is available to you. If the retailer doesn’t display the contactless symbol on their card reader, you may have to pay by inserting your card into the card reader and punching in your PIN or with cash.
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker – this means we’ll show you products offered by lenders. We never take a fee from customers for this broking service. Instead, we are usually paid a fee by the lenders – though the size of that payment doesn’t affect how we show products to customers.