Touch-free spending with contactless cards

Are you ready to go contactless? We’re hoping your answer is an enthusiastic YES, but we also understand that you might have some questions about contactless cards: What are they? How are they used? And the biggie: Are they safe? Your friendly neighborhood bank is here to give you straight answers to these questions, as well as shouting out a couple unique benefits that come with these cards.

What is a contactless card? A contactless card has a small embedded near-field communication (NFC) chip that emits encrypted short-range radio waves via an NFC antenna when you use it to pay at a contactless-enabled terminal. This means you do not have to swipe or insert your card into the card reader.

How do I use it? To pay, simply hold your card flat within a couple inches of a contactless-enabled terminal for just a second or two. It’s often referred to as tapping, but you don’t have to actually touch — or tap — the terminal. To indicate when the transaction is complete, the payment terminal may beep, display a green checkmark, or flash a green light. Make sure to pull your card out by itself instead of holding your wallet up to the terminal — this will prevent “card clash” that occurs when the terminal tries to read more than one card at the same time.

Is it secure? Contactless cards use the same security features as inserting a chip card. Each time you make a transaction, a one-time security code is generated, so your payment information is protected. Also, you can’t accidentally pay for another shopper’s purchases, as your card must be held flat over the payment terminal at very close range (1–2 inches) for the transaction to be approved. And if you tap twice by mistake when you’re paying for your own haul, you won’t be charged twice — the terminal will read one card and one transaction at a time.

Why do I want one? Contactless cards are just as secure as chip cards, but they’re faster and easier to check out with. Using a contactless card also minimizes the spread of germs since the card never has to make direct contact with the terminal to go through.

At UBT, we’re happy to be able to share our no-touch know-how with you. If you have any questions, contact UBT Customer Support at 800.297.2837.