Fear of fraud increase through touch and go cards

A recent report has shown that many consumers are nervous that the recently launched touch and go cards, which are contactless payment cards, could increase the risk of fraud and cause additional problems. These cards were launched on trial in London last year, and are due to be rolled out in other areas.

The contactless cards can be used to make payments of up to £10 at a number of retailers, wherever the retailer or firm has a special reader installed. This could include paying for taxis, paying for drinks at the pub, and making other smaller payments. No cash is required, and users will not have to enter a PIN or sign – the card will simply be scanned and the payment debited.

However, whilst many people did not doubt that the cards would offer increased convenience and ease, many have also said that in addition to the increased risk of fraud, the cards could also result in them losing track of their spending more easily, thus resulting in them spending more than they intended to.

One official said that there were too many myths connected to new technology, and people had to learn to get past these concerns. He said: “For example, casually brushing past a reader in a store does not mean your contactless card will automatically be debited with a purchase you didn’t make, nor will transactions be duplicated by accidentally touching the reader twice.”