Skip to content

Contactless debit card payments are secure

Published on:

Contactless debit card payments are secure and do not require a special protective card sleeve.

Hand holds ING-debit card at modern POS terminal for a contactless debit card payment at point-of-sale.

Increasing numbers of Dutch banks were issuing debit cards that allowed consumers to make small contactless payments(opens in new window) (in Dutch), without inserting the card into a payment terminal. To pay, the contactless debit card had to be held briefly against a compatible terminal. No PIN was required for amounts up to and including €25, while a PIN was required above that amount. Once cumulative contactless payments exceeded the €50 threshold, the debit card had to be inserted and the PIN entered.

Recent media coverage appeared to suggest that contactless debit cards were unsafe. It was claimed that criminals could use a special payment terminal to take money from consumers through contactless payments, and that only a metal card sleeve or aluminium foil could prevent this.

This was incorrect. First, the distance between the payment terminal and debit card had to be very small, which was already difficult when a card was inside a bag or wallet. A payment terminal also had to be registered before it could process transactions, making this unattractive to criminals. In addition, the amount would be limited to €25. If misuse nevertheless occurred, the bank would reimburse the loss.

The Dutch Payments Association emphasised that contactless payments were secure and particularly convenient. A special protective sleeve for the debit card was not required.

Read more about the security of contactless payments on PIN.NL(opens in new window) (in Dutch).

Related articles