Bank contactless card: reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Cards with contactless payment technology have been issued in Russia since 2008. However, this banking product is not widely used among users. To date, such cards are issued by about 50 domestic credit institutions. Statistical studies have provided data on the presence of contactless bank cards in just 2 million Russians.

General information

Financial and credit organizations tend to keep up with the times, so they offer customers various novelties and convenient financial services. Many of them are gaining wide popularity, others prove to be ineffective. Cards with contactless payment technology have proven their reliability and consistency, therefore they are widely used by customers.

A contactless card is a kind of plastic cards used in the access control system, as well as in payment systems. The peculiarity of the card is that the information is read by the device withoutdirect contact. Between the card and the receiver, an electromagnetic signal is transmitted between the antennas. In the financial sector, this technology has gained wide popularity. In large cities, many customers pay with contactless bank cards. Implementation of contactless payments is possible with the use of various modern gadgets. The article will provide complete information about the features of contactless technology, as well as its undeniable advantages and some disadvantages.

A bit of history

Devices that use such a system are not a curiosity, so it is difficult to surprise anyone with them. With the help of such systems, you can make payments in shopping centers and various public places. Payments can be made not only with plastic cards, but also using a phone, smart watch or key fob. However, until recently, no one suspected such a technology.

Contactless technology is quite young, since it began to develop in the 21st century. We were the first to launch the new VISA and MasterCard systems. A real breakthrough in this area occurred in 2013 in Kazan at the World Summer Universiade. AK BARS Bank has implemented several unique projects using NFC technology. This technology is responsible for receiving data and is used in receivers for wireless data transmission over a small radius. It is used in smart watches, smartphones, tablets and POS terminals. Users of this system highly appreciated multiservice cards, whichcombined one-touch payment, ticket service, loy alty card. Since this banking product is quite multifunctional, the contactless card receives positive reviews.

Technology Features

Today, contactless payment technology is used everywhere, but not everyone knows how this system works. The technology is based on the principle of the exchange of electromagnetic waves between the card and the terminal. This allows you to read information at a distance without additional contact and entering a pin code. The RFID standard, which is supported by bank cards, is the most popular way to automatically identify objects. The RFID tag on a bank card includes several chips that process data and an oscillatory circuit.

Due to the electromagnetic signal from the reader, an electromagnetic current appears in the antenna and emits a high-frequency signal. NFC always emits an electromagnetic field that powers the chip on the card in order to exchange data. The NFC system allows you to define the physical standard for the interaction of connected devices and a set of protocols. Since the signal exchange takes place over a short distance, the card does not need to be taken out of the wallet. If paying with a wallet, you need to make sure that there are no other cards with similar technology. Otherwise, payment will be made from the card with which the signal passes the fastest. The contactless card is becoming more and more popular, reviews of the bank paymentThere are different cards, but many users say that this product is easy and convenient to use.

Working principle

A special chip with an antenna is built into the contactless bank card, which transmits data on the payment made over the air. A store that accepts this type of card must have a contactless terminal installed. To make a payment using a contactless bank card, it is enough to attach the "plastic" to the terminal.

Payment is instantaneous, and for the operation it is not required to enter a PIN code (when making purchases up to 1000 rubles). You can apply for a bank card using MasterCard (PayPass) or VISA (payWave technology). The first option in the lines of domestic banks is much more common. This banking product is presented in the form of credit, debit, co-branded, classic, premium and standard cards. The terms of service and the cost of purchasing such a product are determined by the issuing bank.

Terms of Use

In order to make a contactless payment for goods, you need to make sure that PayWave or PayPass technology is available in the selected terminal. As a rule, logos are pasted directly on the terminal, so it will not be difficult for the user to find out about the availability of this technology. Contactless card feedback on the system is positive, as users claim that payment for goods occurs in a matter of seconds. A sound signal will inform you about the fact of the paymentterminal. You should be aware that you do not need to transfer a plastic card to the seller. When making purchases up to 1000 rubles, the client does not need to enter a PIN code.

When making a payment using a contactless card outside the country, the amount of the restriction should be clarified with the cashier. Some countries provide for payment of the purchase by contact method if a certain limit is exceeded. In this regard, the contactless card of Sberbank receives diverse reviews, since not all customers are satisfied with this restriction. Card users do not have to worry about double payments or double payments. This is prevented by a special exchange protocol. To make a second payment, the seller will need to dial the amount again on the terminal.

Advantages of Technology

Having a general idea of this technology, you can analyze its benefits. This method has its strengths and weaknesses.

Among the indisputable advantages are the following:

• Saving time. Payment is almost instantaneous, so the client does not need to count cash and wait for change.
• No PIN required.
• Long validity period of a plastic card.
• Full use throughout the validity period.
• High security.

Due to the above reasons, the contactless card receives positive feedback fromusers, since this tool greatly simplifies mutual settlements.

Flaws of technology

In addition to the advantages presented, there are the following disadvantages of contactless plastic cards that you should be aware of:

• Risk of debiting funds from the card in the amount of up to 1000 rubles without a PIN code by scammers.
• Not all outlets can find a terminal that reads information from contactless plastic cards.
• Limited use.

The cost of installing reading terminals is quite high, so not every store can afford to use this technology. In this regard, the cards have become widespread only in large cities and large shopping centers. However, this technology is developing rapidly, therefore, over time, it will lead to a decrease in the cost of equipment and its widespread use. To ensure maximum safety of funds, it is recommended to use covers that allow you to shield the outgoing radio signal. The limit of 1,000 rubles for making a one-time payment gives many users a negative impression. However, this inconvenience is designed to improve the safety of use, since the safety of funds is of great importance.

Reviews about the contactless bank card are mostly positive, since the benefits presented from using this banking product are more significant than the existing disadvantages. This innovative product offers many benefits not only to users, but also to cashiers. Some reviews of contactless cards report that you need to be careful and prudent, as this will keep your funds safe and sound.

Card security

The owners of such cards are protected not only from theft, but also from the banal photographing of "plastic". From theft, plastic cards are protected by screaming. The built-in RFID tag contains data on the expiration date, information about the card number. Unlike conventional plastic cards, a contactless technology product does not store CVV code information. Therefore, a dynamic one-time CVV is generated for subsequent operations.

Despite the fact that contactless "plastic" is much more secure than conventional cards, more than 2 million rubles were stolen from Russians last year. This is due to the actions of scammers who use homemade RFID readers. Attackers read dynamic CVV cards from shopping mall visitors. After that, the scammers created their clones and quickly paid off the received funds at their discretion in the nearest stores. Deceived cardholders who tried to pay for a purchase faced the problem of blocking access to the account. This is because the system automatically found the previously used CVV of the contactless card. Reviews about the banking system report that if the "plastic" is lost, it can be blocked, so using this product is no more dangerous than wearing itcash in pocket.

Helpful tips

In order to ensure the long life of the card and the safety of funds, holders must comply with the following rules:

• do not deform plastic and built-in antenna;
• take care of the card and avoid getting liquid on the chip;
• do not carry a contactless plastic card in easily accessible places for reading by fraudulent devices.

Contactless card reviews are extremely positive from real users, as many highlight the convenience of its use. Sellers note that such cards significantly speed up the payment process and increase the throughput of the checkout.

Conclusion

Cards with contactless payment technology are banking products with an integrated chip and antenna that transmit data about the payment made over the air. The contactless payment method is becoming more and more common for Russians and is gaining great popularity among customers. The contactless card review and reviews presented in this article will allow potential users to create an idea about this banking product. The presented innovation makes life easier for card users.

This tool has many advantages, as well as a high level of security, which is proved by the numerous positive reviews about contactless cards. Every year, credit organizations expand the range of banking products and improve them. Contactless card (reviews and features are disclosed inthis article) has a number of advantages and features.