Using phone to make payments

[Buckman]

How many of contributors to this forum use their phone to make payment for goods at supermarket etc? Last week we were stuck behind a person that was using their phone to make a payment. It took so long that I almost abandoned our shopping to go elsewhere.

How is the payment processed using the phone and is a strong signal required for the transaction to be processed. Top most in my mind is of course security and I am wondering if your phone is mislaid, can someone else use your phone to make a payments?

 

[GaryB]

I started using "Apple Pay" a year or so ago, I wanted to have another method of payment should I forget my wallet/emergencies etc. To be honest I only really use it to pay for things on EBay etc, but have used it once or twice when out just to see how it works. It is an instant transaction, you press the side button on your phone twice, it scans your face (if you have face recognition on, if not you put your passcode in) then a pictue of your card appears on the screen and you simply tap it onto the card reader as you would with your card.

How it works is a combination of witchcraft and fairy-dust (I have no idea!) but it has certainly been an instant process whenever I or my wife have used it. Our daughter uses this method of payment for pretty much eveytthing as do most of her friends.

 

[otherclive]

I use Apple Pay and my phone doesn’t have face recognition, but does have fingerprint id. I tap the phone into life and the Wallet opens. I decide whether to use credit card or debit card. After selecting it asks for fingerprint ID and away it goes processing the transaction very quickly. On my Apple account I can see my transactions as well as on credit card and current account debit cards too. Security wise I have no concerns. No one can see PIN codes over my shoulder, nor can they duplicate a fingerprint. The card apps give us the ability to put a hold or cancel a card anywhere in the world instantly providing you have a signal. None of the bother of trying to call your card issuer by phone.

PS my phone requires fingerprint ID to open, which can be a bane if I’ve been sanding down stuff as my skin has been rubbed away. Then I resort to 6 digit PIN.

 

[GaryB]

PS my phone requires fingerprint ID to open, which can be a bane if I’ve been sanding down stuff as my skin has been rubbed away. Then I resort to 6 digit PIN.

Yes, my previous phone had that and as I work on classic cars a lot in my spare time it was an absolute pain due to obscured/non-existent finger prints! I was sceptical about the face recognition on the new phone but (so far) it's worked really well.

 

[Mr Plodd]

It's Voodoo!!

Took me long enough to accept contact less card, using my phone/wristwatch is a step far to far for the luddite that is me.

 

[Hutch]

I use Google pay on my Android phone. It does not use your actual card number but generates another card number. It is as fast as your normal card.

 

[GaryB]

It's Voodoo!!

Took me long enough to accept contact less card, using my phone/wristwatch is a step far to far for the luddite that is me.

I gave up trying to understand any of it a long time ago, I now just accept that every gadget I own is brighter than me!

 

[Mr Grumpy]

No thanks!
Don't even like contactless payments.
Lost count of the number of times I've argued with shop's who refuse cash and insist on card payment!

 

[Woodentop]

The phone uses something called NFC or Near Field Communications. When it is held near the card device the phone communicates with the device, is told the amount owed, and the user then touches the phone screen to confirm payment. It is much the same technology that your smart debit/credit card uses except that the pay device does not have to generate a magnetic field to provide power inside the card - the phone has a battery (well I never!)

 

[Beehpee]

I don’t use Apple Pay but I’m told by my children and grandchildren that Apple Pay is totally safe, I’m quite happy with contactless debit cards and if it doesn’t approve which it does from time to time, it’s then easy to enter the PIN number so for the near future I’ve no need for other means of payment but if other methods work then carry on with whatever works.

BP

 

[Buckman]

I use Google pay on my Android phone. It does not use your actual card number but generates another card number. It is as fast as your normal card.

If it is so fast, why do we always seem to end up behind someone whose phone will not process this transaction and they have to use a card anyway? Very annoying for those luddites in the queue behind them!

 

[Sam Vimes]

I have no need to use my phone to make payments as I find it just as easy to use a contactlessly card. Equally I wouldn't really want to get another entity e.g. Apple Google involved in any of my transactions.

However I've seen other people use them and there seems to be no delays in there use.

To believe that they are totally safe though is a bit naïve. Fraudulent transactions are probably very low but not zero. Usually the user is the weak link. Just recently a guy lost over £22.5k through poor security on his part when someone got hold of his phone.

I've just read a report that indicates contactless cards are more secure than chip and pin. Chip and pin machines can be hacked to obtain more card information. Contactless cards don't transmit much data and it's usually a one time code that even if captured can't be reused.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Nearly as bad as those in supermarkets who, after all their shopping has been scanned, and they have meticulously packed it into 8 large bags, only then seem to realise they have to pay for it and spend the next 5 minutes trying to locate their bank card!
OR those who fill up with fuel, go into the kiosk to pay but do 10 minutes shopping at the same time WITHOUT moving their car off the pump !

Grumpy, wot me???

 

[Buckman]

Nearly as bad as those in supermarkets who, after all their shopping has been scanned, and they have meticulously packed it into 8 large bags, only then seem to realise they have to pay for it and spend the next 5 minutes trying to locate their bank card!
OR those who fill up with fuel, go into the kiosk to pay but do 10 minutes shopping at the same time WITHOUT moving their car off the pump !

Grumpy, wot me???

I now avoid those sort of service stations where it is also a Sainsbury, ASDA, Tesco etc outlet. Admittedly some have separate tills for fuel only, but they are very sparse on the ground.

 

[Beachball]

Also don"t use Apple we normally pay contactless debit card at any supermarket but petrol station we pay cash .

 

[RogerL]

OR those who fill up with fuel, go into the kiosk to pay but do 10 minutes shopping at the same time WITHOUT moving their car off the pump !

Grumpy, wot me???

But that's the business model for filling stations - they don't make any profit* from people like you (and me!) who only buy fuel - they make their profit from those who buy extras from the shop. I get most of my fuel from Asda "pay-at-pump only", rarely queues there.

* the fuel refiners may make profits but not the filling stations

 

[Gozza2]

I've never used any of the pay-by-phone methods, although I see plenty of people do it and it does seem to take a bit longer than contactless card - because whatever unlock method you use, you have to unlock your phone (face recognition, finger print or whatever), whereas a contactless card is ready to go as soon as it's out of your wallet, so one less action.

I don't particularly have anything against pay-by-phone, just haven't yet had a need for it.

But I agree with the comments about people to whom it comes as a constant surprise that they have to pay for the shopping - on a similar note I worked at a chip shop at weekends when I was in college, and an amazing number of people would queue for ages before their order was taken, then once they were at the front of the queue, only then would they start scanning the price list to decide what they wanted.

Equally amazing was the proportion of people who would spend what seemed like ages trying to decide what to have, then order exactly the same thing they'd ordered for the previous ten Saturdays.

 

[otherclive]

I've never used any of the pay-by-phone methods, although I see plenty of people do it and it does seem to take a bit longer than contactless card - because whatever unlock method you use, you have to unlock your phone (face recognition, finger print or whatever), whereas a contactless card is ready to go as soon as it's out of your wallet, so one less action.

I don't particularly have anything against pay-by-phone, just haven't yet had a need for it.

But I agree with the comments about people to whom it comes as a constant surprise that they have to pay for the shopping - on a similar note I worked at a chip shop at weekends when I was in college, and an amazing number of people would queue for ages before their order was taken, then once they were at the front of the queue, only then would they start scanning the price list to decide what they wanted.

Equally amazing was the proportion of people who would spend what seemed like ages trying to decide what to have, then order exactly the same thing they'd ordered for the previous ten Saturdays.

My pet hate is going into a garden Center for a coffee finding those in front trying to decide what to order. Then when they do make up their mind there is the interminable wait while the barista creates the offerings. Me it’s a straight black Americano.

 

[Buckman]

My pet hate is going into a garden Center for a coffee finding those in front trying to decide what to order. Then when they do make up their mind there is the interminable wait while the barista creates the offerings. Me it’s a straight black Americano.

Had an Americano coffee for the first time a few weeks ago. First and last time as not to my taste as like milk in my coffee. Prefer my Latte paid using my contactless card. LOL!

 

[Hutch]

I have noticed that my wife's card or phone payment, doesn't work in pubs, but then again mine doesn't work in Coffee shops.

 

[Buckman]

None of my cards seem to work in M&S, SCS etc only supermarkets! 😂 😂 😂

 

[RogerL]

I'm firmly of the view that many smart-phone functions are solutions to non-existent problems.

 

[Mr Plodd]

Prefer my Latte paid using my contactless card. LOL!

Latte??
That's just coloured milk, it certainky isn't proper coffee

 

[Woodentop]

Nearly as bad as those in supermarkets who, after all their shopping has been scanned, and they have meticulously packed it into 8 large bags, only then seem to realise they have to pay for it and spend the next 5 minutes trying to locate their bank card!
OR those who fill up with fuel, go into the kiosk to pay but do 10 minutes shopping at the same time WITHOUT moving their car off the pump !

Grumpy, wot me???

You missed a bit there Andy - the shopper that carries the scan gun, meticulously puts every item neatly into the bags in the trolley and then gets to the checkout and it picks that person for a re-scan. It happened to me on Monday - only mine was the rescan , that after the damn gun stuck halfway round the store as well. Never again I tell you, never again!

 

[Sam Vimes]

Someone sitting not to far away from me doesn't like to carry around too much change in her purse. So there are times when we've got to the check out and the purse comes out and there's the scrabbling around for all the loose change to get rid of. At times there's not enough so it all goes back and the card comes out.

If you are behind us anytime I'm the one looking embarassed and I apologise.