Contactless cards

[Anonymous]

My local CU sent me a new credit card.  It is a contactless one.  Not really sure how I feel about those type of cards and would love to hear feedback from the community.  Pro's and Con's and likes and dislikes are greatly appreciated. 

[Anonymous]

For debit cards, contactless obviates the need for a PIN for small transactions, which is a pretty neat gain of time. The pros are not so clear for credit cards however. It may only be slightly faster sometimes.

In terms of cons, security comes first, as it potentially enables anyone within a few feet to collect your card number with a high-gain antenna without you knowing. This is not really high-tech.

In conclusion, I’d say that IMHO the benefits are probably not worth the security risk.

[SunriseEarth]

Excluding Apple Pay, I've only used the contactless feature once.   My AMEX CashMagnet is contactless and I was able to use it at a Square terminal at a local floral shop.   It was easier than Apple Pay and faster than using the chip, so I was very happy with the transaction.  

[NRB525]

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@Anonymous wrote:
For debit cards, contactless obviates the need for a PIN for small transactions, which is a pretty neat gain of time. The pros are not so clear for credit cards however. It may only be slightly faster sometimes.

In terms of cons, security comes first, as it potentially enables anyone within a few feet to collect your card number with a high-gain antenna without you knowing. This is not really high-tech.

In conclusion, I’d say that IMHO the benefits are probably not worth the security risk.

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If the contactless card has an EMV chip, the card number is encrypted and can't be picked up / scanned away. It is a very safe form of card structure.

I would suggest a bit of research, and then to not spread old scare stories

https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/emv-contactless-fraud-risk-1433.php

[Anonymous]

LOVE it.

Too bad wells fargo's contactless propel is plastic. It looks 100% exactly the same as metal/non-contactless one, but much more bendy.

[pinkandgrey]

I don’t really have any strong feelings about them one way or the other. I had a contactless card and I used the feature once total. It was kind of cool, but swiping or inserting isn’t much harder and to be honest, I kind of prefer it. 

[Anonymous]

I really like them. They are especially handy in countries where tap to pay is widely supported. They are faster than the chip read and I wish the US had wide support contactless payments.

[NaaryalHead]

I like them just because you don't touch the germ filled terminal. Given that I frequently pay contactless at cvs / Dunkin Donuts via my phone, can't wait for a Contactless card. I think the new chase freedom and one of Amex cards are contactless now.

Don't fall for the scare stories of someone stealing your info with a long range antenna. These cards are encrypted and insured in case of fraud or theft.

[Anonymous]

Contactless is great for everyday transactions like buying coffee etc. It is quite faster and it feels much more "natural" to me when you do it with a card instead of a phone. Problem is their use is very limited in the US in my experience because a lot of smaller shops still don't support them. If you re traveling to most countries in europe the feature comes really handy.

[calyx]

I love it, because I find it to be so much faster and easier to use.  Boop the terminal with the card and you're done.

My only contactless is my CSP,  which actually gets more out of wallet use than it should because I like the ease of contactless.