Pay with bank card can have its risks. Although it is very widespread and it is rare for anything to happen, there is always the possibility of being cloned. To prevent this from happening, and in order to reduce the risk as much as possible, we are going to explain how you should pay by card safely. Maybe you already do it, but you may not really know the benefits and why you should do it whenever you can.
When you go to pay with your bank card, whatever it may be, you usually have the option of using contactless, which is basically bringing it close to the POS, as well as inserting the card and entering the PIN. Which option is safer for prevent being cloned? That’s exactly what we are going to talk about in this article and you will see that if you always pay like this, you will be more protected.
Pay with contactless
If you pay with contactless, it is better for your safety. This is because it generates a code for a single transaction. It can be whether you use the physical card or if you have it linked to your mobile phone, for example, to Google Pay. If they stole the data, they would actually be obtaining the information for that specific transaction. They couldn’t use it in the future.
On the other hand, when paying with a card, putting it in the POS and entering the PIN, which we could say is the traditional method, you run the risk of having your data stolen. The card could be cloned, the POS could have some malware, there could be a camera strategically placed to steal your PIN code, etc.
For this reason, in certain countries, and when paying in places such as street stalls, they always recommend doing so contactless. Whenever this option is available, which today is in most cases, you will run much less risk than if you make the payment by placing the card at the POS.
Our advice, whenever possible, is that pay with contactless. Using your mobile phone to pay is very safe. As we have explained, it generates a unique transaction code for that payment and you do not run the risk of your card being cloned or stolen. Simply make sure that the POS shows the corresponding amount.
Keep a constant review
Beyond paying contactless, it is important that you constantly review your bank accounts. It is always convenient review payments made, check that the amount is appropriate and be attentive if you receive a notification with something that does not add up. You should even be careful with the push ups that the app launches, in case they have made a fraudulent payment.
It is also essential to always have the updated applications and, of course, download them from official sources. This will help you avoid the entry of viruses, in addition to being scammed. No matter what your bank is, you should always make sure that the program you are using is legitimate and avoid problems.
In short, as you can see, paying with a contactless card is better than doing it with the traditional method of putting it in the POS and entering the PIN. This will help you prevent the card from being cloned and maintain maximum security.
