Since the raising of the contactless payment cap in Europe in the spring of 2020, transactions using NFC technology have been booming.

In April 2021, the Visa group announced that it had reached the threshold of one billion additional contactless transactions in less than a year.

Consumers and traders are turning more and more to this method of payment, which they consider to be a secure and transparent means of making purchases.

According to data from the international company, more than 80% of Visa payments in stores are now contactless in Europe.

Likewise, on national soil, the number of transactions of this type increased by two thirds compared to the previous year.

So inevitably, this financial windfall attracts.

Act with caution

Several press articles have reported cases of fraudulent debits using this NFC technology.

To do this, the delinquents move with a payment terminal hidden in a bag and manage to be close enough to the victims - especially in crowded subway trains - in order to trigger the settlement.

While this risk cannot be denied, it is nevertheless limited. As the National Consumer Institute reminds us, contactless payment is currently restricted to 50 euros per transaction and per merchant for the same day. Added to this is a cumulative ceiling, which varies depending on the bank, which corresponds to a maximum number of consecutive transactions (generally 5 before the blocking) or to a maximum amount of purchases made consecutively or over a given period (for example 100 euros per day, per week or per month).

The best thing is to observe elementary rules of prudence, by regularly checking your accounts.

At the slightest fraudulent transaction, notify your bank, which will be obliged to reimburse you.

And if you often find yourself on crowded public transport, you can always equip yourself with an NFC anti-radiation case, in which to slide your credit card to prevent transactions without your knowledge.

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  • Economy

  • Fraud

  • Bank card

  • Coronavirus

  • Contactless payment