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.

Im getting a bit fed upwith this too. I want to see the amount. And then getting no receipt. It's not on.

Apple Pay isn’t contactless though. It’s biometric or password which is basically chip and pin.

It's mainly small amounts when you have to ask, I am sometimes a bit suspicious of it.

You can set your own level which is far better than a blanket one

I agree it’s wrong that you can’t see amount
I have notifications for banking app so soon as I pay get notification if there was an issue the transaction will be sat as pending do you can deal with it and highlight it as an issue to bank before it goes through

I own a cafe bar and whenever I present the card terminal to the customer I always turn it round so it faces them so they can see the amount. I tell all my team to do the same. If I see them not doing this (and I have) I always remind them.
To me it’s basic sense. The customer needs to know that they’re being charged the correct amount!

I don’t understand the issue - it’s very easy to see the screen even though the contactless area is at the rear of the machine. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a situation where I can’t see it.

I have always been able to see the amount and they always say ‘do you want a receipt’. This is a non issue.

I always ask to see the total even if it only a few pounds.. I had one transaction a few years ago where the decimal point was missed out ,,,,I spotted it before it went through and I use that as my excuse for asking to see the total everytime.

I got charged £475 for a coffee - should have been £4.75. Luckily it’s somewhere I go often so no issues getting it refunded the next day, but if you are passing through a train station it might not be anywhere you are going to visit again.

Some contactless things, especially in places like coffee shops, are like this with no screen.

https://squareup.com/gb/en/hardware/reader

You’re right. Some contactless machines are really badly designed so you can’t see the amount. My machine for my business has a screen on the front, which you tap, so it’s easy to see, but I volunteered at an event recently where their machine had the contactless but on the end, so the purchaser couldn’t see. I hadn’t realised until someone asked to see the amount.

Seriously, using Apple Pay or Google Pay on your phone e is massively safer than contactless on a card. Please do consider it. If contactless on a card was still limited to a very low amount, at least you’re not risking losing so much, but the insane decision to raise it to £100 was just dangerous. Also, with the wallet safely on your phone you’re not restricted on what you can spend, you can use it for online payments too, it’s really the safest way to shop.

I got charged £750 on apple pay by mistake rather that £75 at the dentist

I noticed the second after I tapped and got a text alert straight away for the spend. I got the money back but had to wait for it to be refunded which took a couple of days

i always check now before I tap

YANBU. I had this in a shop where I spent £9.99, but the assistant put £99.99 in the machine by mistake.

They didn’t know how to refund me £90 by card (small shop) so they gave me £90 in cash in the most begrudging way possible.

No apology.

Sorry to ask but what bank are you with ?
I ask as I couldnt find how to set on mine to be alerted to transactions im with N/ Wide.

How is a phone less secure than a laptop? Surely it’s less secure to be unable to check your balance ?

its random, at least with my bank, both amount and when it happens

mine is under notifications

I ask the cashier to show me before I tap if I can’t see the screen

I do shop. I know. But I’ve never not been able to see the screen with the amount.

I hated it when they raised contactless to 100 quid. It was fine the way it was.

This. It's so handy.

God, Costa! They hold the pay terminal up so high and so far! Bad training on behalf of the companies

Yay! Update! Home and was charged ‘just’ £4.60 for my hot chocolate, so all is well (as I ‘knew’ it would be). V interesting discussion though. Maybe I need to think seriously about paying with my phone. I’ll look into this.

Does your banking app not ping you as soon as you buy something?

Whether I use my card or phone contactless, my bank pings me within seconds of the transaction. It’s another useful check to ensure the shop has charged you correctly (as well as checking the amount on the machine before scanning).