what is seen when a contactless visa debit/credit card is checked

[hi2u_uk]

Yesterday i travelled from Orpington to Grove park and i paid for the journey by touching my visa debit card on the reader at both stations.I was wondering how a ticket inspector would check my bank card to see that i had touched in and and out at the stations . I assume they would use a hand held reader ? if so can someone tell me extactly what they would see . Im not keen on them seeing my bank balance or other transactions or details such as my account number/sort code

 

[1B85]

They'd probably be able to match up the 16 digit card number as one of those that was used at a station, but nothing more than that.

You can use an RFID reader to read the long 16 digit card number and expiry date, but not much else - no account number, sort code or CVV. Definitely no balance. Not much you can do with account number and sort code except send you money.

Although it's technically possible to set up a direct debit with an account number and sort code, the Direct Debit Guarantee would see you immediately refunded without quibble if you asserted you didn't set up this payment...

 

[robbeech]

Very little. In fact as I understand it they don’t actually see if you’ve tapped in and out they simply see that the card is valid and not blacklisted. Then at a later time the system checks against the transactions when they appear on the statement. If they don’t appear action may be taken (blocking the card so you can’t use it etc).

 

[robbeech]

To clarify. Blocking the card so you can’t use it for travel with them.

 

[matt_world2004]

They can see if the card has been blacklisted from the tfl system and if it is in date. No access token is stored on the card.

If you encounter a revenue check and your card hasnt been touched in. They will add a maximum fare on the card. Three times and the card is blacklisted/prosecution attempts are made

There are some bugs in the system I have had it that some stations reconcile their travel data a lot later than others (Hayes and harlington is bad for this) this means I have provisionally been given a max fare only for the system to correct it a few days later.

 

[island]

They only see “valid for travel” or words to that effect. It does not tell if the card has been touched in.

 

[hi2u_uk]

so basically if i show a contactless card which isnt blacklisted to an inspector during my journey then they dont know if i actually tapped in at a station so i would never have a problem . I dont understand how they would know if i actually used it . My contactless payments take days to show up on my bank statements

 

[hi2u_uk]

Very little. In fact as I understand it they don’t actually see if you’ve tapped in and out they simply see that the card is valid and not blacklisted. Then at a later time the system checks against the transactions when they appear on the statement. If they don’t appear action may be taken (blocking the card so you can’t use it etc).

ok i understand so the device stores my card details and then checks a few days after to see if i made the journey and blacklists the card if i didnt. Interesting way to do this though i dont recall giving tfl permission to store my bank card number

 

[roversfan2001]

ok i understand so the device stores my card details and then checks a few days after to see if i made the journey and blacklists the card if i didnt. Interesting way to do this though i dont recall giving tfl permission to store my bank card number

I think using services that they protect revenue on while using a contactless card as a method of payment might be implied permission.

 

[JonathanH]

Effectively the revenue protection person is not checking your card, they are acting as an agent for the contactless system to make the actual check that you are between a "touch in" and a "touch out". So long as the card is valid and not blacklisted, they have no real checking role.

If your contactless card is registered, you can see in the online journey history that a check was made and are given a reference number for this check. This includes checks by conductors / guards on National Rail services. The check does not appear to record where you were travelling, just a time.

 

[hi2u_uk]

i thought it would be a more quicker check which didnt require them to have to save my bank card details. They should make it clearer in their literature that this is what happens when you use a contacless payment card . I can imagine in a few years someone will hack into their systems and download all these bank card numbers

 

[MikeWh]

ok i understand so the device stores my card details and then checks a few days after to see if i made the journey and blacklists the card if i didnt. Interesting way to do this though i dont recall giving tfl permission to store my bank card number

The device stores your card information in exactly the same way that gate readers do. They both send that information to the TfL central system. It is the central system that decides whether you were touched in at the time of the revenue check. You give permission for card details to be stored every time you touch a reader or device, otherwise the system would not be able to charge you at the end of the day.

I should point out that what is actually stored is a unique token rather than your card number.

 

[Martin66]

Effectively the revenue protection person is not checking your card, they are acting as an agent for the contactless system to make the actual check that you are between a "touch in" and a "touch out". So long as the card is valid and not blacklisted, they have no real checking role.

If your contactless card is registered, you can see in the online journey history that a check was made and are given a reference number for this check. This includes checks by conductors / guards on National Rail services. The check does not appear to record where you were travelling, just a time.

This is what shows up on Journey details: