Here’s what you need to know about contactless cards

Contactless cards let you tap or wave your card over the card reader—no swiping required. Most smartphones are also equipped with contactless payment technology, so you don’t need to rummage around for your wallet at all.
If you’re curious about going contactless but don’t know where to begin, we’ve put together this guide to help you get started.

Mastercard

What is contactless payment?

Contactless payment is a way of paying that doesn’t require cash or even swiping a card. All you have to do is tap or hold your contactless card or smartphone near a compatible card reader while you’re checking out. The terminal will automatically connect with your bank account and the purchase will be complete in just a few seconds.

Understanding contactless technology

So how does contactless technology actually work? Contactless transactions are powered by either radio frequency identification (RFID) or near-field communication (NFC) technology.
When making a purchase, these radio waves share your bank account, contactless card, or phone app details with the merchant’s payment reader. The transactions are always encrypted, so you can rest assured your information is safe and secure.

Mobile phone payment power :

Contactless cards aren’t the only devices equipped with this technology—you can make contactless payments straight from your smartphone.

Mobile payments are made through a digital wallet app. Download a digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay, and link your card information to the app. Next time you want to make a contactless in-store purchase, just wave your phone over the card reader and wait for the beep. Check out our guide on digital wallets to learn more.

Contactless cards—the (mostly) PIN-free

A contactless card is a debit or credit card with contactless technology. While usually that means you’ll never have to physically touch a card reader, sometimes you might be asked to enter your PIN periodically. This might happen for security reasons, or to confirm transactions over a certain amount.

Most issuers will also request that you make a traditional chip-and-PIN transaction first before the contactless payment technology is activated.