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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not pay via contactless?

239 replies

DonaldLovesDoritos · 21/08/2018 22:18

I was in my local Tesco today, just quickly grabbing a few things.

I got to the till and was told "It is contactless you know". I said I was aware, but I'd rather pay via the usual chip and pin if that was okay. The checkout lady looked a bit confused.

Later this afternoon I visited Boots. The woman who served me said would I mind using contactless, because it'll be quicker and hurry things along. I said no thank you, I'll stick with pin entering if that's alright. She was very Confused and just repeated "contactless is faster for us"

AIBU not to pay via contactless?

OP posts:
Seniorschoolmum · 22/08/2018 03:07

YAnbu. Psychologists are already reporting how reducing the time/involvement it takes to make a transaction, makes it less memorable, and much easier to spend too much without noticing.
I would also find it rude of a cashier to tell me how to pay.

MongerTruffle · 22/08/2018 04:22

Most cards are cancelled instantly. As internet speeds increase, retailers are switching to systems where contactless payments are authorised at the time of the transaction. In the 10+ years that I have had contactless, I have never had a transaction that has not shown up in the pending transactions straight away. I appreciate that this is not the same for every transaction that happens (especially on public transport).

MongerTruffle · 22/08/2018 04:23

America doesn’t have ‘contactless’
It most certainly does. Visa and MasterCard introduced contactless there before chip and PIN.

MongerTruffle · 22/08/2018 04:25

I'm in USA and we still have to sign a bloody piece of paper, because US banks are about 15 years
Retailers were supposed to switch by October 2015. If they didn’t, they are liable for fraudulent transactions in most cases (unless you have a non-chip card). Banks started issuing them about four-five years ago.

Toddlerteaplease · 22/08/2018 04:26

Contactless payments show straight away on my Halifax accounts

HoppingPavlova · 22/08/2018 05:04

????
I get 2 balances when I log into banking. The Balance of my account (which will not reflect pay pass transactions or some direct debits) and my Available Balance which will be less than the balance as it accounts in real time for the pay pass transactions, direct debits etc. They don’t show in banking as transactions until they are processed which can take days but it doesn’t matter as the Available Balance is always correct in real time. Sometimes there is a huge discrepancy between the balance and available balance that leaves me scratching my head but within a few days the mystery is always revealed I.e purchased things I didn’t recall Grin.

Given this I am happy to tap away and wish everyone else did the same as it is quicker (and yes 30sec is substantial when you are rushing in and out of shops).

Astrid2 · 22/08/2018 05:14

I'm with bank of Scotland and the contactless transactions show immediately in pending and clear the exact same as any other??

Never ever heard of any different !

WhentheDealGoesDown · 22/08/2018 05:47

I use my John Lewis contactless card all the while and have not entered my pin for months, I do shop in the same shops mainly but used it in Home Bargains recently , where I have never shopped before and it still did not ask for my pin.

My M&S card is not contactless yet,

I rarely use my debit card apart from cash back transactions and you have to put a pin in for that.

I don't think it is that secure, so if you have little money in the bank and it was stolen, you could be without available funds for a few days while the bank sorts it out

Justanotheruser01 · 22/08/2018 05:54

Dh does it on his phone and whenever im paying he moans at me oh do it contactless no thanks odd pound or so here and there at work is fine but i like to know where i am with my finances and having several £20 transactions go out adds up id rather chip and pin and my account does smoothly

WhentheDealGoesDown · 22/08/2018 06:01

I'm sure the more you use contactless card the less it asks for your pin so heavy users are most likely to lose the most money if it was stolen.

I rarely use my Apple Pay as I find using my phone less convenient than contactless card.

Original poster
DonaldLovesDoritos · 22/08/2018 06:19

It would appear that I am in a minority since I see and hear this sort of thing so often but I never cease to be amazed at how careless people are with their finances. If having £30/£40/£50 less in your account than is showing up is going to be a problem or a worry then surely you would just keep better track of what you spend

How does wanting to see exactly what you have, updated as quickly as possible, careless with money? If I was careless, I wouldn't bother to check my bank account, despite not having the best of finances.

If I went into Boots to buy my foundation that I get every 3 months or so, that's £30 right there. Fine. I would remember to take that off of my available spends in my head if it didn't go through straight away.

But if I bought something for £5 here, something for £15 there, and something for £10 and £20 here and there again, I would easily lose track.

OP posts:
Slartybartfast · 22/08/2018 06:21

I dont blame you, if you are tryign to keep an eye on your finances, nat west didnt used to show up, I am with Lloyds and they show up with contactless.
Plus it is good to remember the number! My DM asked for a non contactless card

lovelovelovepancakes · 22/08/2018 06:34

I'm with Lloyd's bank and mine comes straight out & shows up on available balance. I also use Apple pay via my Apple Watch when when I can and that does too.

scaryteacher · 22/08/2018 06:50

My UK debit card is non contactless after I refused to have contactless. My Belgian bank doesn't issue contactless as yet.

Iamtheresurrection · 22/08/2018 06:54

RBS takes days to clear and are processed at the end of day so you don’t get the overdraft text message. You also can’t see pending transactions unless you message them! I was told by their staff to use Apple Pay as it’s instant.

WhentheDealGoesDown · 22/08/2018 07:17

Later this afternoon I visited Boots. The woman who served me said would I mind using contactless, because it'll be quicker and hurry things along. I said no thank you, I'll stick with pin entering if that's alright. She was very confused and just repeated "contactless is faster for us

I think if a shop told me to hurry up with paying, I would deliberately use cash and count out pennies on the counter

FatCow2018 · 22/08/2018 07:27

I bank with Natwest and contactless don't come off my available balance straight away. It really irritates me so like the OP I use my chip and pin. It takes seconds and is still quicker than paying cash.

KateMcD451 · 22/08/2018 07:28

I was trying to pay for parking at a machine, I tapped the contactless and it said it didn't go through so I did it twice more - finally it went through but it took 3 lots out of my account, so just be careful when it tells you the payment has failed.

Trialsmum · 22/08/2018 07:49

We’re also with RBS and contactless payments definitely do not come off straight away. Dh and I only have a joint account so if both of us make a number of small payments, it all adds up, then a big chunk comes off the balance all in one go. I don’t mind using it for really small payments, but if it’s over a fiver I’ll use chip and pin. I can’t believe how angry some PPs are getting about someone taking a few seconds longer to use their card Confused.

Penners99 · 22/08/2018 08:07

I do not use chip/pin or contactless, I use cash. Does seem to confuse some shops as they struggle to make change sometimes. I have been refused service sometimes as "cash not allowed" WTAF.

Clairetree1 · 22/08/2018 08:13

I'd also say that my personal experience doesn't match what you're saying. I cancelled my card after it was stolen. I was immediately refunded the three contactless payments made with out my knowledge and then when I next spoke to the bank they were able to tell me exactly how many transactions they'd declined on the stolen card

good,

and I trust you have checked every transaction every week ever since, because as other posters have confirmed, and as articles and investigations i have linked have confirmed, there is no way of stopping it being used fraudulently after this has happened

zen1 · 22/08/2018 08:16

I can’t believe it’s been less than 15 years since chip and pin was introduced. Feels like it’s been around a lot longer than that. As for contactless, it’s up to you how you pay and you shouldn’t be pressured one way or another.

Clairetree1 · 22/08/2018 08:16

Well, seeing as you haven't actually demonstrated with anything, we can't be demonstrably wrong.

yes I have

It is not impossible to cancel a contactless card

yes it is

and you haven't actually produced any proof that it is

yes I have, and it is easily checked, so go ahead and check up on it for yourself

Bluelonerose · 22/08/2018 08:17

I hate contactless too.
When i explain it doesn't show up in my account the staff look at me gone out and don't believe me.
Also I want a receipt. You don't get a receipt with contactless.

heavenlypink · 22/08/2018 08:21

I don't use contactless that much but when I have my payments do show up as pending although they can take longer to clear my account.

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