Internet

Why paying with a contactless card is much safer

The way we pay today has changed a lot from a few years ago. It is very common to use bank cards and even use devices such as mobile phones or smart watches. Now, is it safe to pay with contactless card? In this article we explain why it is safer than doing it with the traditional method, which would be to insert the card into the POS and enter the PIN. You will see that for your safety it is better.

Pay with a contactless card, the best for security

For some years it has been common to pay simply with bring the card to the POS. It is what is known as contactless payment and works through NFC. We can even pay without having to enter the PIN. Before it was limited to a maximum of €20 per payment, while now it is €50. However, even if the payment is higher, we will be able to pay by this method and enter the PIN.

But why is it safer than putting the card in the POS, as we did before? The reason is that when paying with a contactless card, a number is generated, a transaction code, which will be unique for that payment. That is, if there was some malware in the POS and they stole the data, they really couldn’t use it later because it wouldn’t work.

On the other hand, when paying with a card using the traditional method, if that POS has been tampered with, they could steal card number, clone it and use it in the future. They could basically steal your data and make fraudulent payments. The card will always keep the fixed numbering.

Something similar also happens when we use virtual cards to pay online. Sometimes we may have the option to change the numbering with each transaction. If you buy something on a web page and your data is stolen, nothing could happen to you since that numbering only works once.

Pay with card safely

Malware adapted to contactless payments

All this that we have explained has caused hackers to have to take measures to succeed. As you can see, paying with a contactless card is more secure since it prevents them from cloning your card. As we pay more and more like this, the cybercriminals they have a harder time stealing the data.

What are they doing? They have devised different versions of malware that what they do is block contactless payment from the POS. Basically, an error message will appear and they will request that we enter the card to be able to make the payment. And of course, that’s when they really are going to be able to copy the card numbers.

This is something that will not depend on us. It is a type of malware that can sneak into the POS of the stores where we buy. Don’t worry, it’s not common. However, what you can do is check your bank account balance from time to time and detect any problem that may appear as soon as possible and take action.

In short, as you can see, paying with a contactless card is safer than putting it in the POS. You have less risk that they can duplicate it and get you in trouble. The same happens if you pay with your mobile or a smart watch.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *