Tapping to pay without seeing the amount

Figmentofmyimagination · 2026-03-08T17:53:13+00:00

I know it’s on me to ask - but it really irritates me to be given a card machine to tap that doesn’t show the amount unless you ask for it. Tapping on the end of the machine is a real design fault imo. I’ve just bought a hot chocolate in a train station queue in a rush and as I walked away, I realised I’d tapped without seeing amount and with no receipt either - now unnecessary stress as I’ll have to check my account on the laptop when I get home (I don’t bank on my phone). I’m sure it’s all fine but mistakes do happen and the system should not make it this easy to tap your card without seeing how much you are paying. At least, for now, it’s not possible to take more that £100. Grrr.

YourWinter · 09/03/2026 18:54

Inthewindandrain · 08/03/2026 22:28

You didn't read the article by the Times money journalist a while back who was always saying use your phone for payments, so secure, then got mugged at knife point and the mugger made him open his phone with face recognition... Then ran off. He struggled to cancel his card because the bank wanted to send a one time passcode to .. you guessed it ... His phone. The bank person said don't worry he won't be able to use your phone with face recognition locking it.. To which the journalist had to keep saying "but he made me unlock it at knife point"
He concluded that it's was a bad idea to use the banking apps and went back to a card once the whole thing was sorted. Delays to cancelling I think I am correct in saying, meant some transactions had gone through on his app (by the mugger)

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To use my Apple Pay I have to enter a passcode at the till, completely separately from unlocking the phone itself.

cardibach · 09/03/2026 11:42

Inthewindandrain · 08/03/2026 22:28

You didn't read the article by the Times money journalist a while back who was always saying use your phone for payments, so secure, then got mugged at knife point and the mugger made him open his phone with face recognition... Then ran off. He struggled to cancel his card because the bank wanted to send a one time passcode to .. you guessed it ... His phone. The bank person said don't worry he won't be able to use your phone with face recognition locking it.. To which the journalist had to keep saying "but he made me unlock it at knife point"
He concluded that it's was a bad idea to use the banking apps and went back to a card once the whole thing was sorted. Delays to cancelling I think I am correct in saying, meant some transactions had gone through on his app (by the mugger)

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That seems a big reaction to a very rare occur ace on his part. Plus I’d be able to get the pin via my iPad…and you can usually specify an email address for codes too.
It doesn’t stay awake very long when you’ve face coded it either - not sure how much damage could be done really.

newornotnew · 09/03/2026 09:47

Coconutter24 · 08/03/2026 19:17

I have never seen a card machine that doesn’t clearly show the amount

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It shows it but the display faces the server not the customer, so you have to ask them to rotate or tilt in your direction.

RedRiverShore6 · 08/03/2026 22:41

Inthewindandrain · 08/03/2026 22:28

You didn't read the article by the Times money journalist a while back who was always saying use your phone for payments, so secure, then got mugged at knife point and the mugger made him open his phone with face recognition... Then ran off. He struggled to cancel his card because the bank wanted to send a one time passcode to .. you guessed it ... His phone. The bank person said don't worry he won't be able to use your phone with face recognition locking it.. To which the journalist had to keep saying "but he made me unlock it at knife point"
He concluded that it's was a bad idea to use the banking apps and went back to a card once the whole thing was sorted. Delays to cancelling I think I am correct in saying, meant some transactions had gone through on his app (by the mugger)

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This is something I have thought could happen, I won't have my regular bank accounts on my phone, I just have the one credit card and I'm a bit wary of having that on it.

Inthewindandrain · 08/03/2026 22:28

YourWinter · 08/03/2026 18:55

Anyone with a smartphone is better paying by phone instead of contactless with a card. If your phone is stolen they have to get through layers of security before opening the digital wallet, if they have a card they can keep doing contactless transactions until you’ve blocked the card. And you have an instant record of what was spent, at which retailer,

You didn't read the article by the Times money journalist a while back who was always saying use your phone for payments, so secure, then got mugged at knife point and the mugger made him open his phone with face recognition... Then ran off. He struggled to cancel his card because the bank wanted to send a one time passcode to .. you guessed it ... His phone. The bank person said don't worry he won't be able to use your phone with face recognition locking it.. To which the journalist had to keep saying "but he made me unlock it at knife point"
He concluded that it's was a bad idea to use the banking apps and went back to a card once the whole thing was sorted. Delays to cancelling I think I am correct in saying, meant some transactions had gone through on his app (by the mugger)

Anononony · 08/03/2026 22:27

Bonus to being poor, I only transfer enough into my card account to cover what I'm spending, they could try and add an extra zero on but it's not going through 🤣

SabrinaThwaite · 08/03/2026 22:20

Figmentofmyimagination · 08/03/2026 22:12

No I don’t get these notifications. Maybe because although I have internet banking, I don’t have the app on my phone. I log into my laptop using a key pad that generates a 6 digit pin (hsbc). I’m quite happy accessing my account like this but I didn’t know about these notifications. I will look into this.

I’d look into getting the app, I’m with BoS and it updates really quickly.

nomas · 08/03/2026 22:19

Definitely get the bankng app. It makes everything so much easier and they are really secure.

Original poster

Figmentofmyimagination · 08/03/2026 22:12

No I don’t get these notifications. Maybe because although I have internet banking, I don’t have the app on my phone. I log into my laptop using a key pad that generates a 6 digit pin (hsbc). I’m quite happy accessing my account like this but I didn’t know about these notifications. I will look into this.

OP posts:

nomas · 08/03/2026 21:58

Figmentofmyimagination · 08/03/2026 21:55

Yay! Update! Home and was charged ‘just’ £4.60 for my hot chocolate, so all is well (as I ‘knew’ it would be). V interesting discussion though. Maybe I need to think seriously about paying with my phone. I’ll look into this.

Does your banking app not ping you as soon as you buy something?

Whether I use my card or phone contactless, my bank pings me within seconds of the transaction. It’s another useful check to ensure the shop has charged you correctly (as well as checking the amount on the machine before scanning).

Original poster

Figmentofmyimagination · 08/03/2026 21:55

Yay! Update! Home and was charged ‘just’ £4.60 for my hot chocolate, so all is well (as I ‘knew’ it would be). V interesting discussion though. Maybe I need to think seriously about paying with my phone. I’ll look into this.

OP posts:

Pinkissmart · 08/03/2026 21:42

God, Costa! They hold the pay terminal up so high and so far! Bad training on behalf of the companies

Littlemisscapable · 08/03/2026 21:15

holachicatita · 08/03/2026 18:35

Can you set your online banking so that you get push notifications when you use your card?

This. It's so handy.

gamerchick · 08/03/2026 21:14

I hated it when they raised contactless to 100 quid. It was fine the way it was.

cardibach · 08/03/2026 21:14

Tigerbalmshark · 08/03/2026 20:33

Some contactless things, especially in places like coffee shops, are like this with no screen.

https://squareup.com/gb/en/hardware/reader

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I do shop. I know. But I’ve never not been able to see the screen with the amount.

Tollington · 08/03/2026 21:13

I ask the cashier to show me before I tap if I can’t see the screen

godmum56 · 08/03/2026 21:11

Oxo01 · 08/03/2026 20:52

Sorry to ask but what bank are you with ?
I ask as I couldnt find how to set on mine to be alerted to transactions im with N/ Wide.

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mine is under notifications

godmum56 · 08/03/2026 21:09

igelkott2026 · 08/03/2026 18:51

Yes I had to do it twice this week and both times it was under £10. In fact for one transaction it was about £2.80!

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its random, at least with my bank, both amount and when it happens

Crofthead · 08/03/2026 20:54

How is a phone less secure than a laptop? Surely it’s less secure to be unable to check your balance ?

Oxo01 · 08/03/2026 20:52

faerylights · 08/03/2026 17:56

I've never had this, I've always been able to see the amount.

Why don't you get mobile banking? All my transactions pop up immediately so I know exactly what I've spent and what I have available.

Sorry to ask but what bank are you with ?
I ask as I couldnt find how to set on mine to be alerted to transactions im with N/ Wide.

nomas · 08/03/2026 20:41

YANBU. I had this in a shop where I spent £9.99, but the assistant put £99.99 in the machine by mistake.

They didn’t know how to refund me £90 by card (small shop) so they gave me £90 in cash in the most begrudging way possible.

No apology.

OnTheBoardwalk · 08/03/2026 20:39

I got charged £750 on apple pay by mistake rather that £75 at the dentist

I noticed the second after I tapped and got a text alert straight away for the spend. I got the money back but had to wait for it to be refunded which took a couple of days

i always check now before I tap

YourWinter · 08/03/2026 20:37

Figmentofmyimagination · 08/03/2026 19:44

To some PPs yes I know I should always ask to see the amount - I did say this in my OP - 99.999% of the time I remember to ask, obviously, but there are certainly machines that are presented to you to tap at the end with the amount not showing - I am v surprised some PPs have never seen these - and this was a quick hot chocolate at a mainline train station in a queue in between trains on a long tiring journey across the uk - yes - it’s on me - and when I eventually get home I will have to log on and check that all is ok - fingers crossed - but these poorly designed hand sets should not exist, as they invite mistakes and even fraud - that’s my point.

I am 62 and I’ve always resisted having my banking on a mobile phone (although my children do) as it didn’t seem very secure to me. This thread has made me rethink, especially with the card limits going up (although I’m not going to agree to this for my card.) - but I still feel naturally resistant to paying by phone.

Seriously, using Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone e is massively safer than contactless on a card. Please do consider it. If contactless on a card was still limited to a very low amount, at least you’re not risking losing so much, but the insane decision to raise it to £100 was just dangerous. Also, with the wallet safely on your phone you’re not restricted on what you can spend, you can use it for online payments too, it’s really the safest way to shop.

Gingercar · 08/03/2026 20:34

You’re right. Some contactless machines are really badly designed so you can’t see the amount. My machine for my business has a screen on the front, which you tap, so it’s easy to see, but I volunteered at an event recently where their machine had the contactless but on the end, so the purchaser couldn’t see. I hadn’t realised until someone asked to see the amount.

Tigerbalmshark · 08/03/2026 20:33

cardibach · 08/03/2026 20:25

I don’t understand the issue - it’s very easy to see the screen even though the contactless area is at the rear of the machine. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a situation where I can’t see it.

Some contactless things, especially in places like coffee shops, are like this with no screen.

https://squareup.com/gb/en/hardware/reader

Card Reader | Contactless Card Reader | Square Reader

Safely and securely accept all major payment types with Square Reader. ✓Contactless ✓Chip and PIN ✓Apple Pay ✓Google Pay

https://squareup.com/gb/en/hardware/reader