Would You Raise the Card Contactless Limit? What To?

[Howardh]

I'm all in favour of these checks and balances - however I would like the opportunity to clear a transaction before I make it and I really can't see how difficult it can be to authorise something in advance.
If the bank automatically contacts you by text, after the transaction and then clears it, why can't I text to the bank with the account number and purchase price first; and I have an hour to make that transaction? Clearly this wouldn't be much use for shopping expeditions where you are spending a lot of small amounts, but for amounts over your chosen "limit"?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Although, being able to report it does rather depend on your ability to make a phone call after your phone is stolen (possibly along with your wallet/purse).

It does, but other telephonic services are available

(With Monzo, the easiest way is to log on on a computer and block it that way)

 

[najaB]

If the bank automatically contacts you by text, after the transaction and then clears it, why can't I text to the bank with the account number and purchase price first; and I have an hour to make that transaction?

That's actually quite a good idea - you should suggest it to your bank, they're always looking for new ways to distinguish themselves from the crowd (and be quick about it, I'm going to suggest it to mine as well!)

 

[Bletchleyite]

That's actually quite a good idea - you should suggest it to your bank, they're always looking for new ways to distinguish themselves from the crowd (and be quick about it, I'm going to suggest it to mine as well!)

Yes, agreed, that seems a good idea when you're talking about large payments. Buying a new car by debit card (which I've done) is another example of a transaction which is almost certain to "refer".

 

[najaB]

Yes, agreed, that seems a good idea when you're talking about large payments. Buying a new car by debit card (which I've done) is another example of a transaction which is almost certain to "refer".

It doesn't even have to be large in absolute terms - larger than "usual" is enough to trigger the fraud systems.

 

[Howardh]

That's actually quite a good idea - you should suggest it to your bank, they're always looking for new ways to distinguish themselves from the crowd (and be quick about it, I'm going to suggest it to mine as well!)

Thank you! I'll patent it! Certainly when going off to buy a car I think I would clear it with the bank first, although not sure how to go about that, phone? Might not have a branch to call into soon.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

A few things:

The contactless limit was £20 until a few years ago when it was raised to £30. I suspect it will go up to £50 in due course.
Contactless cards cannot be used an unlimited number of times. Every set number of consecutive contactless transactions (think it's either 6 or 10) it will ask for your PIN number. This is why you sometimes see a contactless terminal read a card OK but ask you to enter your card and PIN. This effectively limits the loss in the event of fraud.

I've never been asked to enter my pin even after multiple contactless transactions, and I use contactless every day for everything (even at work).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've never been asked to enter my pin even after multiple contactless transactions, and I use contactless every day for everything (even at work).

Is it a debit card and do you use it for cash withdrawal? That also resets the counter, as does doing a Chip and PIN transaction deliberately.

Contactless transactions completed on a machine that doesn't have a PIN pad also won't refer in that way, e.g. Tube ticket barriers.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

Is it a debit card and do you use it for cash withdrawal? That also resets the counter, as does doing a Chip and PIN transaction deliberately.

It's Monzo's Current Account so it's a Debit Mastercard. Rarely take out cash and never use chip and pin.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's Monzo's Current Account so it's a Debit Mastercard. Rarely take out cash and never use chip and pin.

I do wonder if Monzo (who I use myself too, they really are rather good) may have a different arrangement, because they have other security in place based on e.g. your phone showing as being in the same location as the card is being used.

 

[najaB]

I do wonder if Monzo (who I use myself too, they really are rather good) may have a different arrangement...

That's precisely why I asked about challenger banks upthread, they don't necessarily do things the way that the big four/five do.

 

[nidave]

this seems relevent - It seems like a pretty clever idea.

Bank customers will be able to spend more than £30 using contactless cards and could never again have to remember their four-digit pin if a fingerprint technology trial starting in April proves a success.

The pilot project from NatWest, the first of its kind in the UK, will use debit cards that contain an electronic copy of the customer’s fingerprint on one corner. If the customer places their finger on that part of the card while waving it at a retailer’s payment terminal, it will authorise a contactless payment above £30, and the customer will not have to type in their number

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2...ls-fingerprint-debit-cards-to-remove-30-limit

 

[tsr]

Is it a debit card and do you use it for cash withdrawal? That also resets the counter, as does doing a Chip and PIN transaction deliberately.

Contactless transactions completed on a machine that doesn't have a PIN pad also won't refer in that way, e.g. Tube ticket barriers.

Contactless on Tube barriers (etc.) uses a low-value “transit mode”. It’s nothing to do with barriers not having a PIN pad.

It's Monzo's Current Account so it's a Debit Mastercard. Rarely take out cash and never use chip and pin.

I don’t use Monzo, but both my Mastercards are exactly the same in terms of never needing a PIN.

 

[gnolife]

I'm another one with a card that I only use for contactless, that I never use chip & pin for (I'm with RBS)

 

[Mojo]

So this evening my better half and I were doing our fortnightly shop at the local Aldi’s. At the checkout I noticed they have new card machines since our last visit two weeks ago, when it came time to pay he tapped his card on the machine as if to make a CPC transaction, whilst me and the girl on the checkout said at the same time it needs to be inserted. To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15. Note the receipt says Pin Verified, this is not true.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

So this evening my better half and I were doing our fortnightly shop at the local Aldi’s. At the checkout I noticed they have new card machines since our last visit two weeks ago, when it came time to pay he tapped his card on the machine as if to make a CPC transaction, whilst me and the girl on the checkout said at the same time it needs to be inserted. To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15.

Sounds like Aldi have upped the limit from £30 which is a good thing imo.

 

[Killingworth]

So this evening my better half and I were doing our fortnightly shop at the local Aldi’s. At the checkout I noticed they have new card machines since our last visit two weeks ago, when it came time to pay he tapped his card on the machine as if to make a CPC transaction, whilst me and the girl on the checkout said at the same time it needs to be inserted. To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15.

I suspect all the banks, card processing intermediaries and some major retailers will be trialling ways to increase the limit to £50 (and possibly higher) in order to increase use of this method and to speed queues. There's a tipping point where the cost of extra security risks to the banks and retailers are outweighed by the benefits from using cards in this way.

It is public knowledge that Nat West are trialling a £50 limit for biometrical cards carrying a fingerprint, see;
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/mar/11/natwest-trials-fingerprint-debit-cards-to-remove-30-limit

However, I know card accepting machines can sometimes be programmed to do things they aren't supposed to, yet, possibly because a new system is imminent. It must be 5 years ago I was taking a card from a customer and found the machine had taken a contactless payment when I wasn't aware we would be able to do so for a few more months. Experiments of this nature may not be made public until they've been tested a little more, for security reasons. As customers are indemnified by the retailers and banks using contactless it's their decision as to how far to take a balanced risk.

 

[najaB]

To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15.

Is the card issued by a UK bank?

 

[Mojo]

Is the card issued by a UK bank?

No, it is an American Express Card issued by them.

 

[Busaholic]

Yes, agreed, that seems a good idea when you're talking about large payments. Buying a new car by debit card (which I've done) is another example of a transaction which is almost certain to "refer".

My wife and I arranged to buy a new car in 2011, part exchanging our old car, which (frankly) was only scrap value. The car was registered and taxed from the 1st of the month, a Friday, my wife had spoken to her bank (Lloyds) beforehand stating how much was going to be spent, with whom, at what location and time. The old car, whose tax expired on the previous day (last day of the month) we stripped of all personal possessions and drove it to the showroom at approx 3 p.m. The debit card transaction was finally approved at 4.40 p.m. after at least three prolonged telephone calls to Lloyds, all of which involved being transferred from person to person, each seemingly asking the same questions, and each time ending in the call being cut off at their end! The last half hour involved one of the car showroom's directors using his personal influence with Barclays to eventually obtain an emergency telephone number at Visa, I believe, and they eventually got some sense out of Lloyds. It later transpired that, almost certainly, the person who'd assured my wife the transaction should go through effortlessly hadn't passed that info on.

 

[Mojo]

Lloyds are really pernickerty about card transactions. I find they block transactions for me at least once a month on my cards which involves either me having to reply to a text or speak to them on the phone. The most frustrating thing is these are not peculiar transactions ever; the most recent ones have been spending £1.something in store at a Tesco’s (via their Pay+ app), or buying something from a website I make purchases from several times a week.

Touch wood my Lloyds card numbers have never been used for a fraudulent transaction to my knowledge, but they have never blocked me making transactions that could be considered dodgy, such as for stuff abroad and/or stuff purchased in a foreign currency.

 

[Mag_seven]

So this evening my better half and I were doing our fortnightly shop at the local Aldi’s. At the checkout I noticed they have new card machines since our last visit two weeks ago, when it came time to pay he tapped his card on the machine as if to make a CPC transaction, whilst me and the girl on the checkout said at the same time it needs to be inserted. To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15. Note the receipt says Pin Verified, this is not true.

I'm just back from a shop at my local Sainsbury's - bill came to £30.50 - pin number still required.

 

[najaB]

No, it is an American Express Card issued by them.

The rules wrt to amount may well be different then. I wouldn't be surprised if Amex set the card to a higher limit.

 

[Killingworth]

It would appear that various banks and retailers are experimenting with a £50 limit when items have been referred for specific authorisation. My bank lists card authorisations when I go online. I've noticed recently that most contactless payments are now appearing almost instantly (but hasn't today for a£5 payment). I only offer my cards for contactless below £30 and automatically insert a card over that figure so wouldn't know if it would work.

Maybe more cards are now being programmed to allow £50 transactions if the item has gone back for authorisation? More evidence needed!

 

[Ken H]

It would appear that various banks and retailers are experimenting with a £50 limit when items have been referred for specitc authorisation. My bank lists card authorisations when I go online. I've noticed recently that most contactless payments are now appearing almost instantly (but hasn't today for a£5 payment). I only offer my cards for contactless below £30 and automatically insert a card over that figure so wouldn't know if it would work.

Maybe more cards are now being programmed to allow £50 transactions if the item has gone back for authorisation? More evidence needed!

Im a Lloyds bank customer. never been able to do contactless over £30. Even a few pence.

 

[Deerfold]

I'm all in favour of these checks and balances - however I would like the opportunity to clear a transaction before I make it and I really can't see how difficult it can be to authorise something in advance.
If the bank automatically contacts you by text, after the transaction and then clears it, why can't I text to the bank with the account number and purchase price first; and I have an hour to make that transaction? Clearly this wouldn't be much use for shopping expeditions where you are spending a lot of small amounts, but for amounts over your chosen "limit"?

That might come in useful. My other half and I tried to catch a bus in Sweden. The system is similar to London - no cash on the bus, only JoJo cards or contactless. Both my wife and my cards failed (3 in all). Although usually Nationwide seem fairly sensible about getting in touch about odd transactions we got home to find we'd each been sent a letter about the transaction in Sweden failing! Other, far higher transactions both before and after went straight through.

 

[175mph]

Is it a debit card and do you use it for cash withdrawal? That also resets the counter, as does doing a Chip and PIN transaction deliberately.

Contactless transactions completed on a machine that doesn't have a PIN pad also won't refer in that way, e.g. Tube ticket barriers.

With my Halifax debit card, I always find that logging in to my online banking resets the contactless counter.

 

[Bletchleyite]

With my Halifax debit card, I always find that logging in to my online banking resets the contactless counter.

Perhaps for the likes of Monzo opening the app does the same?

 

[johntea]

At Leeds station Sainsbury’s have replaced 4 of their self service cash and card terminals with new card only terminals, and the 2 remaining cash and card ones were out of order!

 

[nlogax]

To both of our surprises it flashed up “Approved” and the rest of the receipt printed off, it was a normal CPC, not Apple Pay or anything, the amount charged is £48.15. Note the receipt says Pin Verified, this is not true.

That's really odd. Amex are very specific about limiting contactless transactions to £30 unless via Apple Pay or Google Pay and there's nothing to indicate that's changed.