Does your DC leave their bank cards at home and rely on their phone?

[endoftetha]

My son (17) has a debit card, but leaves it at home and uses Google Pay on his phone instead, even when travelling away from home in the UK for a few days to visit friends etc. I'm concerned he will get stranded if he either
(a) loses his phone or
(b) runs out of battery.

His counter-argument for scenario (a) is that he will be more likely to lose his card if it is in a separate wallet because he uses it so infrequently. Plus, he wants to travel light, not have multiple things to carry.

He doesn't really have a counter-argument for (b), other than "it has never happened".

We live in London, so he does carry a 16+ Oyster Zip photocard in his phone case. There isn't space for his debit card too, so he probably just needs a better case. I know my niece has a card wallet stuck to the back of her phone, but it looks to me like it could easily come unstuck.

Any recommendations for a good secure setup for a phone and a couple of cards? What does your equivalent young person do?

I take my debit card out if a) I’m going abroad or b) I’m likely to spending more than £100 in one transaction. Otherwise I mostly just take my phone.

I don't routinely take my bank card out any more. Only if I need to get cash out.
Re the wallet attachment phone case, you could buy it and he might not use it, 17 year olds can be funny about looking "cringey" and I was baffled when some girls I worked with said those wallet phone cases were "Mum cases" in a disparaging tone. Bizarre.
Also as pp have said if he loses the phone he loses the bank card. I'd just let him get on with it tbh. And keeping an emergency note in the pocket is just going to go on Maccys the minute he gets hungry 😂

My daughter was caught out when she took her phone to the Apple Store to be fixed, and couldn’t get the SIM card working again afterwards.

It meant she couldn’t use Applepay and she also couldn’t get home because her bus/train pass was on her phone.

She also couldn’t get her Apple Watch to work for payment or transport.

She ended up calling us from her watch, which was really hard to hear, and emailing us from a random iPad in the Apple Store, and we were able to help her with the various logins she had to go through to get everything working again.

Other than that she’s always got by with just her phone and watch.

So how secure are magnetic wallets? Don't they just drop off easily? 😁

DC's phone is in a ruggedised plastic case, as he's dropped and broken them in the past. Not sure a magnetic wallet will be compatible.

My debit card stays on my glovebox. As I only ever use it when pay at pump won't work for contactless and occasionally to get cash out.

You sound rather controlling and coddling.
If indeed this does become a problem, it’ll be a fun life lesson for him to work out.

I only take my phone out. When I used to take a card too I would easily misplace the card in a coat or trouser pocket.

I do this and I'm in my 30s. Never had a mishap yet... Think it's pretty normal these days

DD is 16. She uses Apple Pay for everything, but she also carries 2 cards and cash.

She has often run out of battery, so she knows that you can't depend on a phone for everything. She needs her cards then. She has also come unstuck in situations where she can't use a card, machines are down etc, so also carries cash. Also, our local shops all have minimum spend limits for cards.

It is only sensible to cover everything. When the bus card reader wouldn't work, she was able to pay cash and still get to her volunteer job on time.

I've rarely got my card on me

Apple Pay doesn’t have a £100 limit - that is just for contactless cards

I’m 58 and I leave my cards at home. After all much easier to lose or have them nicked. He is 17, let him do his thing 🙂. If it goes wrong he will have to work it out. Just like we all do.

He is 17. You’ve raised your concerns and now it is up to him.

i travel like this. I’ve been caught out once or twice trying to make a purchase over £300

My ds is 25 and just uses his bank card, he doesn't have his phone set up for payments. Always brings card, Freedom Pass (for tubes), keys and phone out with him and has never lost any of them.

I always bring cards and phone out. I only use my phone to pay when I've forgotten to bring my card. But the card is for DH's account and I don't want it linked on my phone.

I have 2 Dds just in twenties. One has a card inside her phone case. The other has a slim leather card holder with purse that she puts her key inside too - on a tether line in her backpack style bag.Both have had jobs in retail in the past and would never rely on just a phone. Neither use pay by phone/watch anyhow... but they have it set up so they could, if they lost their card.

I leave mine at home too!

It’s not just the youngsters

Ive not used a bank card for well over 2 years. I dont even carry a handbag now! I’m the wrong side of 60.

I rarely have my cards or wallet on me. Pretty much do everything on my phone. Only take my cards really if going for a day out and won't be able to recharge my phone.

I leave most of mine at home but carry one backup. As do my kids.

Smartwatch, my Garmin has payment option.

My experience is the opposite of many posters and I don't know anyone who doesn't carry a purse or wallet, and the vast majority of our friends pay for things by card rather than phone. I've also got a friend who has never paid for anything on a card and only uses cash.

I use a 'pop socket wallet' on the back of my phone... Like this one: https://www.popsockets.co.uk/en-gb/p/wallets/moss-green-popwallet/802997.html?cgid=popwallets

Wouldn't help me if I lost my phone, but I think I'm more likely to lose a wallet tbh, and I like having both card and phone with me on days out.

I also leave the house with just my phone. But if travelling I also keep an extra credit card with my passport for emergencies (eg cash withdrawal or contactless not being available).

My Apple Watch is my day to day back up though.

He should take some cash though if no card as some places are still cash only, and then that also acts as back up funds to his phone.