Tapping to pay without seeing the amount

[Figmentofmyimagination]

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.

I agree, retailers seem to get annoyed when you try to look at the screen. I just ask to see it - it's my money 💰

To save the stress now you could bank on your phone?

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.

I always ask to see the amount.

It is a flaw but as you say on you to check. I find it really frustrating.

I always ask to see and have taught my 15yo son the same. The amount of people who get slightly affronted makes laugh.

I do agree that you should be able to see the amount but why is this causing you so much stress that you need to check, are you imagining that you’ve been charged £70
for a hot chocolate?
disclaimer, I’m not saying people don’t get overcharged, I got double charged for fuel recently and didn’t realise until I went back the following time I stopped to get fuel again and the guy gave me my money back, said he’d made a note of my registration number and was waiting for me to come back!

Yes, make sure you remember to ask to see the amount OP. There was a program on Radio 4 recently about scammers using keypads with people who were paying with bank cards. People thought they were paying £5 with card, scammer says, oh sorry can't do contactless you have to insert card. Person inserts card, thinks they are paying £5 but scammer's hand covers extra 0000s so end up paying £5k. I think the amount can also be changed remotely by accomplice sitting in car with laptop. Person had probs getting money back from bank as had entered Pin. Think it was You and Yours program. So be aware!

The contactless limit of £100 for bank cards is also being scrapped in a few weeks.

I know. I think scrapping the contactless limit is insane.

You have the option of setting it a lower level via online or mobile banking. Mine is still set at the old £45 limit.

When I was a child, we were taught always to check our change. Isn't this the same thing?

I don’t mind the contactless limit at £100 now as it is useful in the supermarket but thinking about it, it is so mad that inserting your pin should now be seen as a faff when you are spending £100 on food in a supermarket. It’s not exactly difficult to do.

I think it is designed to encourage us to spend more, and to match inflationary pressures, so that we are not as ‘conscious’ of gradual price increases. It’s all about ‘nudging’ us to spend, but none of it is for our benefit!

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

The supermarket and the petrol station are about the only places where I regularly need to use my pin.

Thank you, didn’t know this

I agree OP - the retailer could have typed in any figure!

Just get a banking app. It’ll save the stress

You still have to remember the pin because after a few taps you can get asked to insert the card instead.

Only with some banks. Other banks won't let you change it, although it might be a requirement of the new rules that they have to allow you in future.

I bank with three banks and was only able to reduce the limit for one of them.

I've not really noticed the thing with the amount but agree you should always be able to see it, especially when they type it in manually. If you have seen it on the till and it's automatic, it's less important.

• you can set your own limit at less than £100 btw. Obvs this is not widely advertised 🙄

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!

I have bank accounts with three banks and three apps and only one flashes up my transactions. That isn't the solution - the solution is for machines to display the price clearly.

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,

I'd go one further op - I'm so old fashioned that I can't stand the fact that cashiers no longer tell you the amount. Just expect you to look at the machine! When I worked in retail it would be 'that'll be twenty pounds Mrs goggins!'