My daughter’s going through a really bad patch at the moment, so I’m trying to do the best I can and keep her chin up. I took her out for a meal again last night as she’s not eating properly. Anyway to cut to the chase, I paid for the meal with my debit card. The girl behind the bar took the card did something under the counter that I couldn’t see and seconds later I was given the card back with a receipt.
I felt quite confused as I’d not had the machine nor put my pin number in, and said that to her. She said they’d used ‘contactless’. I questioned why she didn’t mention that and didn’t she need my permission to use my card like that?
(I assumed those who use ‘contactless’ were in charge of their cards and did it themselves rather than someone just taking it and doing whatever it is they do).
I also thought one had a choice if they wanted to use ‘contactless’ rather than the pin. I’ve always been given the machine and entered my pin.
Do they have the right to just take your card, use the ‘contactless’ thingie, without asking your preference or permission?
I view it as a bloody cheek assuming, and not asking, if I wanted to go ‘contactless’ and secondly I find it disturbing she took the card and did it without saying what she was doing and not in my view.
I very pleasantly said that to her.
She basically said the manager wants people to pay the ‘contactless’ way and if I didn’t want to do that then I could get the card changed at the bank to the old style.
I’m confused about all this ‘contactless’ paying with cards. I thought it was by choice? Do businesses normally take your card and ‘do it for you’? And, if they do, would they ask your permission to do that?
Sounds damned fishy, it only takes a second to swipe it through a copying device and if it were me I would speak to the restaurant manager now and then to my card company to check for any fraudulent use. Like Tpin says though, never lose sight of your card and if you do then demand to know why.
Yes, I did wonder whether to have a word with the manager, but I didn’t. I just figured I’m an out of touch old biddy.
It is the first time this has happened re the card leaving my hands. I’ll go in the bank tomorrow and check everything is ok and see if I can discuss my concerns about how this ‘contactless’ works.
Yes see the bank and have a word with them about what happened Pesta…they will probably put your mind at ease.
Myself I never use my card when out ,always cash.
Yes I will Aysa, my senses tell me it will be ok, meaning I don’t think anything untoward has happened. It’s just I’d like to know if that was not the way they should be doing it.
I rarely have any cash Aysa. If I do, it’s only either £5 note or £10 note in my purse at any one time. But I do keep a supply of coins for hospital car parking for when I need it.
I have never been in favour of this ‘contactless’ thing. To me, it is a pointless exercise in saving only a few seconds, yet has the possibility of being abused even though the number of illegal transactions are limited in number and amount.
The other thing, of course, with these cards is that they can be read surreptitiously by someone nearby with a ‘reader’. I keep mine in an aluminium encased wallet for that reason, but also because when I used a traditional wallet cards kept getting bent and eventually split.
It’s not so much the fear of them ripping me off (which I don’t think they did) - it’s HOW they did it.
I feel it’s my possession and they took it from me, swiped it so taking my money rather than me giving it to them…without saying what they were doing.
A bit like I handed them my purse and they routed in it for their money without asking.
This all probably sounds daft, I can’t really explain what I mean. But I will go to the bank and try to get my head sorted. Thanks folks.
My wife dose contactless at taker ways and restraints but they always ask first.
She did it last Sunday in a pub the bill was for £58 and it all went through, nice meal to.
I agree with you entirely Pesta, I would have thought it a damn cheek. As you say, it would feel much like just handing them your purse.
Incidentally, although the limit is £30, I was told you can spend that amount up to three times in a day, so it would total £90 a day.
Here’s a bit I found about it:
[B]Is there a daily limit on how much you can pay on contactless?
There is no daily cap on the number of individual transactions you can make (each up to £30), but occasionally, as an extra security measure, you’ll be asked to enter your PIN to verify you are the account holder.[/B]
I never give my card to anyone, I expect them to give me the machine or to have it where I can reach it (and they do).
These PayWave cards are brilliant, so much more convenient than swiping and PINs etc though to be fair the supermarkets never asked for a PIN for under $30 anyway. When my brother came out here he complained that the limit in the UK was too low, is it £30? He thought our $100 (£50) limit was much more reasonable.
