Contactless aborad

Sully

Howdy.
I'm with KBC and during a holiday in Italy, they always tap first regardless of the amount. Unlike back home, they never ask first. When the amount is over €30, I'm asked to enter a pin and then the transaction declines.

I rang KBC and they said the problem is contactless amount being over 30E and they have nothing to indicate it ever going to chip and pin.

Curious as to why this is? My AIB credit worked fine but KBC responded by saying credits don't have limits.

I have this problem with KBC in Ireland where contactless declines anyway, and I have to enter my pin for the transaction to work - with a lot of retailers not believing me and thinking the card has no funds.

The high horse brigade

Sully wrote: »

Howdy.
I'm with KBC and during a holiday in Italy, they always tap first regardless of the amount. Unlike back home, they never ask first. When the amount is over €30, I'm asked to enter a pin and then the transaction declines.

I rang KBC and they said the problem is contactless amount being over 30E and they have nothing to indicate it ever going to chip and pin.

Curious as to why this is? My AIB credit worked fine but KBC responded by saying credits don't have limits.

I have this problem with KBC in Ireland where contactless declines anyway, and I have to enter my pin for the transaction to work - with a lot of retailers not believing me and thinking the card has no funds.

I've started to use Google pay with my phone as it doesn't have a limit. I have to educate the staff in most shops when they say contactless won't work as it's over 30 and tell them that is a limit set by the bank on the card and not the limit of contactless

Sully

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I've started to use Google pay with my phone as it doesn't have a limit. I have to educate the staff in most shops when they say contactless won't work as it's over 30 and tell them that is a limit set by the bank on the card and not the limit of contactless

I'm not sure about abroad but I think Ireland is pretty good at not being confused by phones for transactions. In Italy everything is tap and unlike at home, you're not given the option. At home I'm still asked is contactless okay

The high horse brigade

Sully wrote: »

I'm not sure about abroad but I think Ireland is pretty good at not being confused by phones for transactions. In Italy everything is tap and unlike at home, you're not given the option. At home I'm still asked is contactless okay

I think that is because the merchant always passed the charge for a chip and pin transaction onto the seller. The same reason we saw shops with minimum spend on chip and pin transactions which I thought was ridiculous. Maybe this wasn't regulated well, were the merchants let overcharge compared to what merchants in other countries charged?

With contactless this changes things as some of this charge is passed to the customer and is down to the deal they have with their own bank on contactless transactions.

Sully

Just a small update. Out for lunch in Italy and told him no tap but he ended up tapping swiping and eventually gave up saying my card wasnt working.

Partner paid via BOI and again he tapped, it prompted for pin and worked magically. No decline.

OldMrBrennan83

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I've started to use Google pay with my phone as it doesn't have a limit. I have to educate the staff in most shops when they say contactless won't work as it's over 30 and tell them that is a limit set by the bank on the card and not the limit of contactless

I've found most won't let you try anyway and think you're up to something dodgy because you want to.

The high horse brigade

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

I've found most won't let you try anyway and think you're up to something dodgy because you want to.

I've never had a refusal but I rotate my phone to show them the open Google Pay app which shows my card with the last 4 digits visible. They always say give it a go being skeptical but it always works

OldMrBrennan83

The high horse brigade wrote: »

I've never had a refusal but I rotate my phone to show them the open Google Pay app which shows my card with the last 4 digits visible. They always say give it a go being skeptical but it always works

Showing them anything that isn't an iphone normally makes them suspicious I find. To a lot of people Android/Google makes people automatically think cheap and dodgy. I'd love to know if Apple Pay users get knocked back as much.

OldMrBrennan83

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

I've found most won't let you try anyway and think you're up to something dodgy because you want to.

How do they stop you? Just shove your phone or watch in without saying anything. It’s not often I use it as I only have Apple Pay on my credit card with I don’t use much but never had anyone try to refuse me using it with iphone or watch.

I have often spent over 30 with Apple Pay but one day recently I was paying 150 euro in tesco and tapped my Apple Watch and it declined for “over contactless limit”. I was under the impression Apple Pay was unlimited, card is a KBC credit card.

The high horse brigade

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

Showing them anything that isn't an iphone normally makes them suspicious I find. To a lot of people Android/Google makes people automatically think cheap and dodgy. I'd love to know if Apple Pay users get knocked back as much.

Maybe you look dodgy, I've not had an issue (•‿•)

OldMrBrennan83

Mr.S wrote: »

Just say you're paying by card, the terminal will have contactless activated either way - and then just use your phone.

We were talking about payments over 30 euro, not mobile payments in general. If you just say that they'll never let you try the phone as cards can't pay contactless over 30 euro.

OldMrBrennan83

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

We were talking about payments over 30 euro, not mobile payments in general. If you just say that they'll never let you try the phone as cards can't pay contactless over 30 euro.

But how will they stop you?? The terminal is usually out front close to the customer, the contactless is always active unless they physically grab your phone/hand etc you would have the phone tapped before they know what’s happening.

Ive never once had anyone question an Apple Pay tap over 30 euro, even the one above where I was surprisingly declined in tesco the person behind the till didn’t even notice I just had to pop in my card and enter the pin without any reaction from them.

The high horse brigade

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

We were talking about payments over 30 euro, not mobile payments in general. If you just say that they'll never let you try the phone as cards can't pay contactless over 30 euro.

Once it's sent to the machine it's payable by either contactless or chip and pin even if it's over 30. Just say card then use your phone

The high horse brigade

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

Why would you say card? You can't use a card for payments over 30 euro.

:rolleyes: Contactless, you can use card chip and pin over 30. Once it's sent to the machine you can just tap your phone

OldMrBrennan83

The high horse brigade wrote: »

:rolleyes: Contactless, you can use card chip and pin over 30. Once it's sent to the machine you can just tap your phone

My local shop treats them totally separately anyway. Maybe it's the machine they have but if you want to do contactless at all they take the machine back and press a few buttons before presenting it to you again.

OldMrBrennan83

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

My local shop treats them totally separately anyway. Maybe it's the machine they have but if you want to do contactless at all they take the machine back and press a few buttons before presenting it to you again.

I haven’t seen any machine do this and I use card every day. The tap icon is always up on the machines regardless of value.

The high horse brigade

Brixton Ashy Sieve wrote: »

I haven’t seen any machine do this and I use card every day. The tap icon is always up on the machines regardless of value.

Me neither

OldMrBrennan83

I've even seen ones where they make you sign if you use your phone like you're cashing a bloody cheque or something.