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It's a gesture that many of us no longer pay attention to. Swiping your card on a terminal has become a routine gesture. Faster, less complicated, the contactless payment maneuver is the symptom of an era which tends towards simplification at all costs. With a payment ceiling of up to 50 euros, it allows you to avoid the majority of everyday payments. However, some reluctance still remains regarding the security of this method of payment among the French.
The distrust of the French
Certainly, those who are reluctant are in the minority, since the Moneyvox site estimates that 5 to 6% of bank card holders choose to deactivate or refuse contactless. An apprehension which can be explained by the fear of what could happen to their credit cards if they fell into the hands of thieves.
Despite these concerns, the Observatory for the Security of Payment Means (OSMP) reports a really low fraud rate via contactless payment in 2022: 0.016% of total transaction volume. The rate is significantly lower than those that can be observed with other means of payment, in particular mobile or online payment.
Contactless therefore retains its place as the leading method proximity payment, since it represents 61% of transactions.
Security and regulation
Fortunately, regulatory protections exist to mitigate financial losses in the event of fraudulent use of contactless payment. Indeed, bank customers are not deprived and UFC-Que Choisir points out that: “the regulations require your bank to reimburse you immediately for all disputed payments.
Indeed, there is no need to file a complaint to benefit from reimbursement, since it is the banking establishment which is responsible from the moment the secret code has not been entered to pay.
In addition, there is a cumulative spending limit, set at 150 euros in most establishments (except Cooperative Credit, where it is 90 euros). This sum is the maximum amount authorized in contactless before having to enter the PIN of the card concerned. Security coupled with another limit: once you reach five transactionswithout contact in a row, the PIN code will also be required. Under these conditions, it is strictly impossible to empty an account by this means.
Despite its generalization which can be placed around 2012, contactless is not yet in the mainstream. habits of everyone. Legitimate fears, but which remain contradicted by the statistics mentioned above. The fraud rate remains very low, and this payment method remains one of the safest. Its widespread adoption, however, is far from being achieved, with cash payment still remaining as the preferred method of the French.
- Despite its generalization, there is still some reluctance contactless payment method.
- MoneyVox estimates: 5 to 6% of bank card users deactivate or refuse contactless.
- This payment method remains despite one of the safest, with a fraud rate of 0.016%.
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