People who don’t carry their bank cards with them

[Auburngal]

I was in Sainsbury’s this morning and systems are down. No contactless, chip n pin taking ages to go through. Unable to buy gift cards, mobile top up vouchers.

Systems going down like this happen not very often but when they do it’s awful.

On the self scan next to me a woman screamed at the manager on why she can’t pay on her mobile.

Why do many people don’t carry their bank cards anymore? The cards don’t weigh much. Plus if the contactless payment system goes down, hopefully their card will go through via chip n pin. Also they won’t look like idiots either. No sympathy for these.

Regarding contactless payments- sometimes your bank, NOT the retailer etc asks you to do a CnP payment as part of security. “I dunno my PIN”. You can change your PIN to any number you want (not 1234, 1111) at any ATM under PIN services.

Who is the one looking smug?

Actually, I am getting used to having to carry cash again as the EU city I am now living in has a few places still cash only, and apparently outside the city, a LOT of places are still cash only.

But I tend to have a notebook and pen, tissues, proper wallet etc with me all the time, just some of the things I do to always be prepared for most normal eventualities that might occur.

Me too. And when there’s no signal.

You don’t need a signal on your phone. It works using a nfc chip, exactly like the one in a contactless card. (Not to be confused with the chip on the card which is for chip and pin.)

I don't use my phone for payments, usually a card or cash in local corner shop. My son took us out for lunch yesterday and his mobile locked (GD trying to download game). My poor DiL ended up having to pay unexpectedly, fortunately she did have her phone.
I'd rather carry a card than a phone as fits better in my pockets - and I'm over 70!

I always carry my handbag if I’m actually going shopping as the main purpose of me leaving the house. In fact I take my handbag everywhere except work. I don’t take it to work as I carry alot of other things with me and it’s something else to lose/drop/get pinched. I do occasionally pop to the shop on my way home from work though - if I’ve suddenly noticed I’m on empty for petrol for example or if we urgently need something. So on those occasions I’d expect to pay on my phone. However if the systems are down then I’d just go home and get my card if it couldn’t wait. I’d not be rude to anyone.

Last week it was macdonalds as well as sainsburys who couldn’t take orders using cards - so a card wouldn’t have helped on that scenario. On entering I was told cash only, however on asking found I could pay via the macdonalds app so the was helpful. I did have my handbag and cards with me though, but it wouldn’t have helped if I didn’t have the app.

I also know some banks allow you to get money out of the cash machine without your card. Sadly not mine. I took the kids out for the day a few years back and realised on arrival on the city we didn’t have my handbag and therefore my cards or cash. We spent the day seeing how far we could get on Apple Pay. The only place I struggled was where I parked my car - you pay on exit and I’d wrongly assumed they had contactless but didn’t. But it was rectified when I went to customer services at the venue and offered to pay them for a ticket - they couldn’t accept as they don’t own the car park machines - but they did offer to give me a free exit ticket usually reserved for disabled guests who need something to pop in the machine at the barrier.

I don’t always. I’m partially sighted and it’s easier to use my mobile

I like to live my life full of risks.

In all seriousness why would I carry a bank card around, it’s just another thing for me to lose. I use Apple Pay for everything and have never had an issue.

@Auburngal I rarely carry a purse, let alone a bag to carry my phone and a purse. My phone in my pocket gives me everything I need 99%+ of the time. It’s convenient for me to do this. Everything I need is in my phone. Aside from yesterday, how often have you been a shop where customers couldn’t pay with a phone? The woman shouting because she couldn’t pay was being ridiculous and inappropriate.

You're supposed to carry your bank card. I use wallet pay all the time but you can still be asked by your bank to use chip & pin. Happened to me yesterday.

Easier to carry a tiny card than a phone

Even easier to just wear my watch. I always just carry my watch when I go exercising, no phone or card.

You're supposed to carry your bank card.

Says who ?

I don't have a mobile phone, so always carry my card.

If the 'system goes down' phone, card, CnP and contactless payments are all rendered useless.

Your question should be: 'Why don't people carry cash on them.'

Cash really is king! 👑

My youngest just use their phones most of the time. I always have my cards in my handbag and don't use any kind of phone app to pay and don't even take my phone out of the house when I go shopping!!!! I also always have a lot of cash too and often use that in supermarkets although today in Waitrose the only 2 tills that take cash had huge queues so I gave in and paid by card on self checkout.

You can't with the cheapo non cellular version that most people have unfortunately, phone has to be within about 10m

I’ve used Apple Pay exclusively for 8 years. I’ve yet to be asked to put in my pin.

Not true. I’ve used mine when I’ve had no connection to my phone.

I rarely carry or use my bank card. Apple Pay all the way for me. It's extremely rare for contactless not to work.

While I may mildly be annoyed in such a scenario, I'm intelligent enough to know it's not the staff member's fault and down to technology.

Were there any signs at the front door to inform customers of no contactless, or at least staff at front door telling customers walking in? No reason for that lady to behave like a knob end though.

I work in card processing (for a big acquirer) and can tell you that its wise to carry at least 1 card so you can do a chip&pin transaction if necessary. The card scheme and bank might decide at any point that they want that instead of contactless (security policy) and anyway if you go over the £100 contactless limit, you may be refused even with Apple or Google Pay or biometric e.g. on watches (a la Samsung Pay) - it is usually a retailer decision so isn't guaranteed to be consistent.

I got caught in Ikea Bristol last year when they could only accept cash for a bit at the restaurant and tills. I carry a small amount of cash inside my phone cover for this reason. It was just enough in that case to buy some lunch but there were many cross people there. The tech isn't infallible and you would be amazed how many links in the chain there are and how complex a payment is, really, under the surface.

Screaming at the retail staff doesn't really help either ;-)

I use my watch and phone for payments. Don’t ever carry cash and can’t be arsed carrying a bag and purse everywhere. Cash machines out of the town centre charge a fee to withdraw cash so I don’t take cash out.

I went to Sainsbury's yesterday after reading online about the issue with contactless payments so I took cards with me (wouldn't usually) but they had 2 people at the entrance explaining to each customer that there was a problem with contactless payments and kept announcing it on the tannoy too.

I cannot fathom how people can get so annoyed about something that happens so rarely and is not under anyone's control. I heard a woman on the radio saying that they'd "lose some customers as it was unacceptable" and just thought god, good luck to Tesco 🙈