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.

When the cards are in Apple Wallet the transaction shows on there. Only one of my banks sends a notification of a payment on their actual app. I haven’t used Google Pay but I guess it’s similar to Apple Wallet.

I just ask to be shown the amount. I agree it's a design flaw.

Most of the big banks let you do this - Lloyds, TSB, HBOS, Santander, Barclays, NatWest, Nationwide, RBS - plus others like Starling and Monzo.

You might have to have the app to be able to do it for some banks.

olive I heard that You And Yours too. Very crafty card machine scammers.

YANBU and I was pleased that somewhere I recently went, the cashier purposely raised the machine so I could see the amount before tapping. Anyone can make a mistake and accidently key in the wrong amount on the bill...

There is currently no limit with Apple pay, I can tap for thousands.

my notifications come up on my phone as I use apple wallet so I can see the amount on there.

I have never seen a card machine that doesn’t clearly show the amount

I was at the Big Weekend a few years ago and went to the bar and asked for a bottle of wine. Somehow the guy apparently thought I had asked for 3 bottles but the way the payment things were you couldn’t see the amount before you tapped. It was something like £26.50 a bottle so when I saw a notification saying I’d just spent over £80 I freaked out. It took bloody ages to get it sorted (and took the refund a couple of days 🙄) but at least I was still at the bar and didn’t notice it later. Other people weren’t as lucky as me and got totally shafted on it.

I’ve been SO careful at looking at amounts or asking to see them since then though.

I use Apple Pay on my phone for all card payments which there’s no limit for but I always look at the screen and can see the amount I’m paying for so I voted YABU because the information is there you either see it on screen before paying or you ask the person charging you. I do have notifications set for every payment that goes out. If you do online banking on your laptop why don’t you log in online on your phone or download the banking app to save yourself the stress?

Really?

Often if the tap bit is at the top, the cashier will hold the reader towards them, pointing the tap bit at the customer, which makes the screen very hard to read.

Years ago, I was charged £300 odd for a £30 meal when the server took my card (maybe I should have been more assertive when they snatched it out of my hand) and luckily I got the money back, but that could have been a real problem for some people, so since then, I have always checked. You're right, mistakes and fraud both happen.

Yes, this really annoys me. Lots just don't bother. And if the screen isn't even showing me that's even worse!

It's quite easy to be unable to see the amount at a busy bar, for example, when as @Ohyeahitsme says, the business end of the card reader gets pointed in your direction but the screen is facing away from you. I'm short and my head's too low down to see over the top of it. I usually ask for a receipt, as it feels less as if I'm implying I don't altogether trust the person behind the counter.

I am blind and always ask the amount. I also have banking app on my phone that pops up and alerts me straight away with the amount.

I always check the amount. I don’t have any cards on my phone. I won’t give my card to anyone else to use for contactless payments.

The amount is on the payment screen sometimes very small.

I have never been in a shop and the cashier has not told me the amount to pay! I also work retail and always tell them the total....

It annoys me too, I always ask to see, I know it often pops up on your phone immediately, though not always, sometimes it's an hour or more later, probably signal related and by then it's a bit late anyway as you have already paid.

To some PPs yes I know I should always ask to see the amount - I did say this in my OP - 99.999% of the time I remember to ask, obviously, but there are certainly machines that are presented to you to tap at the end with the amount not showing - I am v surprised some PPs have never seen these - and this was a quick hot chocolate at a mainline train station in a queue in between trains on a long tiring journey across the uk - yes - it’s on me - and when I eventually get home I will have to log on and check that all is ok - fingers crossed - but these poorly designed hand sets should not exist, as they invite mistakes and even fraud - that’s my point.

I am 62 and I’ve always resisted having my banking on a mobile phone (although my children do) as it didn’t seem very secure to me. This thread has made me rethink, especially with the card limits going up (although I’m not going to agree to this for my card.) - but I still feel naturally resistant to paying by phone.

All these notifications though are after you have paid and then they have to do a refund which can take several days sometimes so a bit useless if you have no money because a wrong payment has taken it all

No I’ve never had that but if that happened then I would just ask how much the total is

Why don't you have a banking app on your phone?

I only use a credit card for everything so don't need my actual bank account on my phone as I only use it for direct debits and savings accounts. I would never pay with a debit card, have it in Apple Pay or use a debit card online.

You can set your contactless limit as low as £10 with most banks. If you don’t have time to listen to or see the total, then I’d advise setting that limit to prevent unnecessary stress.

You can also set up banner notifications for all transactions or transactions over a certain amount.