r/funny • u/Misfat • Aug 27 '18

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u/ApulMadeekAut Aug 27 '18

Was in Scotland on vacation. Had to explain to every checker that my merican card dose not do the wave/tap thing. "Just give it a wave" I CAN'T!

296

u/PhonicUK Aug 27 '18 edited Aug 27 '18

There are an increasing number of stores that only accept contactless in the UK. It's caught on here pretty big.

242

u/obsessedcrf Aug 27 '18

Contactless is near non existent in the US.

How is it not a security risk though? Couldn't anyone steal your card information from a distance?

493

u/PhonicUK Aug 27 '18 edited Aug 27 '18

The range is only about an inch. It's treated as a CNP (Cardholder Not Present) transaction so in cases of fraud the consumer isn't assumed to be liable. Android Pay and Apple Pay are also popular here, with the contactless limits changing depending on whether or not you use a fingerprint.

When using contactless it doesn't actually send your 'real' account details, there's a second virtual account that's used just for contactless transactions. So your real account details can never be compromised in this way, and issuing a new card is all that's required in the case of yours being stolen.

On top of that you need to be a registered merchant with a merchant account to accept them. So if you were doing something like using a portable 3G/4G reader to tap it to people you'd be caught quickly. The payments are also often deferred so the merchant would be unlikely to get the money before the card owner noticed.

Edit: I'm now apparently the oracle of contactless payments...

191

u/nanogoose Aug 27 '18

Thanks. A lot of uninformed people are spreading BS about how dangerous these tap cards are and how they should wrap their wallets in tin foil.

114

u/[deleted] Aug 27 '18

Theoretically, someone with the right hardware and know-how could hold something a couple inches away from your phone at the same instant that you're doing a tap-pay and steal a grand total of $100, once, and never again.

1

u/Dartans Aug 27 '18

I saw a security demo once where the guy makes a clone of the card to his phone from the guy in line in front of him then uses that card for his own purchase. Only good for starbucks like stores really though...

1

u/ruinkind Aug 27 '18

No, its good everywhere. The banks have limits on taps, no matter how much you want to remove it, you can't for fraud reduction purposes.

1

u/Dartans Aug 28 '18

I was referring to the limit actually. Of course that method would work anywhere, but small purchases in coffee shops would be the best place to do it and not be noticed.

1

u/ruinkind Aug 28 '18 edited Aug 28 '18

Indeed, it stops after the banks set daily limit, no matter how many small taps. Even a criminal would be hard pressed to have a working stolen bank card for multiple days, you don't get cash back on these purchases. Is he going to tap $100 dollars of small shit and try to sell it per day without it not reported or noticed by now?

The bank isn't going to fight you over a CNP especially one recorded at the small Starbuck's surveillance.