In the U.S., the majority of cards being issued as a part of the EMV migration will be contact cards. Although the number of merchants with contactless capability is increasing, the places cardholders can use a dual card that includes contactless capabilities is still limited. The number of merchants that can accept contactless has been elusive, perhaps because the number is not impressive. 700,000 sites is often mentioned with a majority of those representing vending machines and parking meters.
The UK has a different environment altogether with a much higher acceptance level and issuers who provide dual contact and contactless cards as a matter of course as this article in This is Money reported. Not all consumers are on board, however;
Banks and building societies, on the whole, now send out contactless debit cards with current accounts as standard even if customers haven’t requested it.
[Banks and building societies] have seen a surge of This is Money readers annoyed by this development and wanting their bank card to not carry the feature.
There have been reports that scanners can readily capture card data causing cardholders to take unusual measures:
Some are concerned about security. From Tuesday, minimum spend on contactless cards per shop rises to £30 from £20, meaning more could be spent in a frenzy if a thief stole the card.
Also, an investigation by Which? showed scanners can be used to swipe details – it has prompted some to stick foil in their purse or wallet in a bid to prevent this from happening
Overview by Sarah Grotta, Director, Debit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group
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