What is contactless technology?
Contactless technology is a fast and easy way to pay for goods and services of £45 and under without entering a PIN. Within the UK the limit is £45. Other contactless limits apply outside of the UK, please ask the retailer. Remember you can still use your card for purchases using Chip and PIN. Contactless cards have an antenna in the plastic so that when it is used at a contactless reader it securely transmits purchase information to and from the contactless reader. All you have to do is touch your contactless card onto the contactless reader to make the payment.
How do I know if my card comes with contactless technology?
The wave symbol:
will be visible on your card.
How do I get a contactless card?
We are able to offer a contactless card on most of our current account range. Please give us a call on 03457 21 31 41 (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 8am-6pm and Sun 9am-5pm) or visit your local branch to see if we can offer you a card.
Is there a limit on the value of goods I can purchase with my contactless card?
You can use your contactless card to pay for items of £45 and under. For purchases over £45, you will need to carry out a chip and PIN transaction.
Is the £45 contactless transaction limit available at all retailers?
Retailers will gradually adopt the £45 limit from 1 April 2020. The previous contactless payment limit in the UK was £30. If you are declined a transaction between £30 - £45 it may be because the retailer is yet to have updated their terminal. You may need to pay using chip and PIN to complete these transactions.
Where do contactless payments appear on my statement?
Most contactless payments will appear in the main section of your online statement within a few days. However, some transactions may show first in the ‘View pending transactions’ section.
How am I protected from fraud?
Contactless uses the latest secure Visa technology. If your card is lost or stolen you are protected against fraud loss – providing you take the kind of precautions we recommend and let us know as soon as you notice the card is missing. We recommend that you minimise the risk of fraud loss by never telling anyone your PIN, always looking out for the padlock symbol when shopping online and always shredding receipts and documents with personal information before disposing of them.
Can I be charged more than once for the same transaction if I pay using a contactless card?
No. Once you have touched your card on the card reader to pay for that transaction, the transaction is cleared from the terminal and it will appear on your statement. The terminal is tested to only read one card at a time for each transaction. You may be asked to try your contactless card again if the first attempt to pay was unsuccessful but you only pay for a transaction once.
What happens if I have more than one contactless card and / or an Oyster card in my wallet when I touch the card reader?
We do not recommend touching your wallet against the reader if you have more than one item in it that communicates via contactless technology. The card reader is designed to reject a payment where it can see that there is more than one contactless card present, a red light will be shown on the reader to tell you the payment has not complete and the terminal will say ‘please present one card only’.
To prevent this happening, make sure that you only use the card that you wish to pay with and touch this against the card reader.
Do I have to use contactless?
No. Contactless technology is an additional feature on your card. It is up to you whether you chose to pay with contactless or Chip and PIN.
Can I use my contactless card outside the UK?
Although you can use your Bank of Scotland Visa debit card outside the UK, only Contactless cards issued after 17th November 2017, including replacement cards, can be used worldwide wherever you see the contactless symbol.