Contactless again!

[Stompa]

I have a contactless credit card which has sometimes behaved a bit oddly on buses. Mostly it works as expected, but on the odd occasion I have found that whilst it appears to have worked the transaction never actually appears on my credit card statement. Once this has happened the card seems to get blacklisted, and I'm unable to use it on buses for a while. After a month or two it'll start working as normal again.

Thanks for that. So it could just be one of those things? Though in my case it definitely didn't work - red light on bus card reader.

Think I'll let sleeping dogs lie with the debit card. After all, I never normally use it for payments, I always use my credit card for that. If/when this bus issue crops up again I'll rely on my old Oyster card.

If it were to be the same issue as mine then I think it would need to have appeared (i.e. green light) to work the first time it was used (in order to get blacklisted), but it sounds as though that's not the case with yours?

[terminal7]

The perils of modern life: Or, the increasing complexity of just paying for 'things'. Part XXIII

Question is: Why did my perfectly valid contactless debit card not work?

TIA

Have you considered whether the Mayor of London (or one of his minions) reads TLF?

T7

[swill453]

I don't use Contactless, but I understand the first time a contactless card is used it has to be used to purchase something using Chip & Pin, else its contactless function can not be used. OK, I have never done this, but I have repeatedly used it with Chip & Pin at an ATM and via my card reader - is this not adequate? Why not?

No it's not adequate, as they have specifically told you you have to make a purchase with Chip&PIN before using it contactless.

As to the why - well they probably assume that most people will use it for purchases far more often than you do, and don't consider the possibility that the very first contactless use will be somewhere like a bus with no PIN facility.

Of course what they are trying to validate is that the card genuinely made it to your possession, and not been intercepted by a scroat who doesn't know the PIN. Your use of it in an ATM should have laid that to rest, but it probably didn't come up in any of their use-cases. Such is life, nobody's perfect, especially banks' IT.

The upshot is you were told what you needed to do to activate it, it's up to you whether you want to follow the instructions or not.

Scott.

[XFool]

I don't use Contactless, but I understand the first time a contactless card is used it has to be used to purchase something using Chip & Pin, else its contactless function can not be used. OK, I have never done this, but I have repeatedly used it with Chip & Pin at an ATM and via my card reader - is this not adequate? Why not?

No it's not adequate, as they have specifically told you you have to make a purchase with Chip&PIN before using it contactless.

As to the why - well they probably assume that most people will use it for purchases far more often than you do, and don't consider the possibility that the very first contactless use will be somewhere like a bus with no PIN facility.

Of course what they are trying to validate is that the card genuinely made it to your possession, and not been intercepted by a scroat who doesn't know the PIN. Your use of it in an ATM should have laid that to rest, but it probably didn't come up in any of their use-cases. Such is life, nobody's perfect, especially banks' IT.

The upshot is you were told what you needed to do to activate it, it's up to you whether you want to follow the instructions or not.

Thanks. You are absolutely sure about this? I did imply this as a possible cause, in my OP. It's just that it didn't seem to make sense to me.

But then what does?

[chas49]

Moderator Message:
Please bear in mind this thread is in DAK. Direct questions and answers only - not general discussion.

I have removed posts which breach other forum rules

(chas49)

[mc2fool]

Meanwhile, my original question remains unanswered: "Why did my contactless debit card not work on a TfL bus?"

Perhaps the question is does it work anywhere?

Assuming you have an even vaguely modern phone, install and try this app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.github.devnied.emvnfccard

[XFool]

Meanwhile, my original question remains unanswered: "Why did my contactless debit card not work on a TfL bus?"

Perhaps the question is does it work anywhere?

For contactless purchases and payments? Possibly not. But then, as I don't use it for such, the simplest option now is to leave it alone. Meaning it can't then be used by anyone else either. So best for security, in this case.

[mc2fool]

Perhaps the question is does it work anywhere?

For contactless purchases and payments? Possibly not. But then, as I don't use it for such, the simplest option now is to leave it alone. Meaning it can't then be used by anyone else either. So best for security, in this case.

If you install and try the aforementioned app it will tell you the state of your card and (possibly, depending on what it says) answer your OP question.

[XFool]

For contactless purchases and payments? Possibly not. But then, as I don't use it for such, the simplest option now is to leave it alone. Meaning it can't then be used by anyone else either. So best for security, in this case.

If you install and try the aforementioned app it will tell you the state of your card and (possibly, depending on what it says) answer your OP question.

Thanks for the suggestion! But, I think I can safely assure you that won't install on my current phone.

I guess I could try to use it to pay, contactless, at some shop to see what happens. If it asks for my PIN I'd just cancel the transaction and pay with my CC by Chip & PIn, as usual.

Amyway, I think the question seems likely answered as much as it can be and I'll just carry on as I am. So, in the best traditions of TLF, this thread is now (semi) officially closed.


PS. Just received text for next hospital appointment at 9.30am.
Looks like that Oyster card is not yet obsolete...

[chas49]

Amyway, I think the question seems likely answered as much as it can be and I'll just carry on as I am. So, in the best traditions of TLF, this thread is now (semi) officially closed.

Moderator Message:
Officially closed (chas49)