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Original poster

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

109 replies

endoftetha · 04/08/2024 12:11

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?

OP posts:
ObliviousCoalmine · 05/08/2024 06:06

Also, I'm currently abroad on a city weekend break. There are three of us and no bank cards between us.

ForGreyKoala · 05/08/2024 06:31

Prisonbreak · 04/08/2024 12:24

This really isn’t any different to how it was when we were younger. We had cards but no mobile phone. If you lost your card you were just as stuck

I always have my cards with me when I go out, but frequently forget to take my phone. My cards are in my wallet, and I've never lost one.

Recently I was buying from a food truck and we in the queue were held up for ages by a man trying to pay with his phone. Eventually he just had to walk off without paying.

ForGreyKoala · 05/08/2024 06:35

GreenTeaLikesMe · 05/08/2024 02:29

Not in the UK.

I take all my cards with me everywhere AND cash in the currency of wherever I am AND some US dollars! (OK, the last one is probably paranoia, but my Dad told me many years ago to always keep a stash of US dollars on me wherever I went in the world, and now it's just habit).

I live in an earthquake-prone country, and I think it's wise to make sure you have ways of getting stuff done if systems fail (transportation systems, electricity, charge points, card-based payment systems). In a real emergency, even being able to bribe someone could help you out. We've had outages of this kind due to natural disasters over the 20-plus years I've lived here.

The UK will most likely see more unexpected outages like these in the years ahead due to less-predictable weather (floods, extreme heat) and the fact that the shift towards renewables, while welcome and essential, may result in grids being less stable until battery and storage stuff fully catches up.

My family in the UK always took the piss out of me for keeping a stash of cash on me, until we went on a family outing several years (I think it was Chester Zoo or something like that, but don't quote me on that), and arrived only to find that all the card-based systems were down; can't remember the reason why, but I think it was a sudden heat wave. There was a line of sorry-looking people driving away because they hadn't booked in advance and had no way of paying. We were able to settle the whole thing because I had (just about) enough cash on me. As I said while paying, "I'll buy these tickets for the whole group, as long as you all promise never to tease me again about carrying cash!"

Edited

I live in an earthquake prone country also. My exDH was caught out during a big quake, and always has a stash of cash now, and I keep a small supply at home too.

Meadowfinch · 05/08/2024 06:35

fruitpastille · 04/08/2024 12:36

What about an emergency £20 note and a bit of paper with a couple of emergency phone numbers in the case of the phone? Or even better in his pocket. Then if the phone is completely broken or stolen he has options.

I used to do this in the 1980s, £10 note and emergency phone numbers inside the lining of my bike helmet 😊

HauntedbyMagpies · 05/08/2024 09:55

Haven't RTFT so apologies if already suggested but is he with NatWest by any chance? I ask as they have an option whereby if you can contact them somehow in a crisis, they can give you a code for you to get cash from an ATM with. Really helpful!

Also, have a look at the Ridge wallet. That will def appeal to your DS

Toomuchcuddles · 05/08/2024 15:09

I can’t remember the last time I paid for something with my actual card..that said currently in Trinidad where they don’t take contactless or Apple Pay … didn’t bring a card so can’t buy anything.

DoAClassicCamel · 05/08/2024 15:18

I won’t have my cards on my phone. I’d take a bag for keys and phone so I have a little purse too with my drivers license, bank card and a little cash. I’m 53 I can’t see me changing.

BlackForestCake · 05/08/2024 15:24

endoftetha · 04/08/2024 12:25

Any recommendations for a good secure setup for a phone and a couple of cards?

Phone case with a slot for the card. Then a lanyard attached to the phone case, which is connected to the cord joining his mittens together.

Lancelottie · 05/08/2024 16:39

The mittens made me snort.

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