Contactless payments, sometimes referred to as NFC payments, are safe, secure, and most importantly completely touchless. Your staff won’t have to handle NFC enabled credit and debit cards, and your customers never have to hand their cards over. The entire transaction happens with a quick tap.

Our support team hears these five questions practically every day, so we thought we’d give you the answers to the Contactless quiz.

Are contactless payments safe?

We’re going to say this a few times, because it’s the most common question International Bancard gets about Contactless payments. Accepting contactless payments is safe and secure.

Customers can’t pay accidentally. You have to initiate a card transaction first and their card or device must be within 2 inches of the terminal for the sale to take place.

How do I know if my processing equipment accepts Contactless (NFC) Payments?

Virtually every countertop terminal, mobile payments device, and Point of Sale (POS) system International Bancard works with is fully compatible with NFC payments. Look for this symbol on your device  

Can my information be stolen or skimmed?

Skimming is very unlikely. Every contactless transaction generates a unique transaction-specific code. The code and additional fraud protection processes, makes it nearly impossible to use skimmed cardholder information for fraudulent purchases.

What Information is transferred at the point of purchase?

The card, smart phone, or enabled device transmits secure information including the account number, expiration date, payment details, and a unique one-time code that changes for every in-person transaction. The information is fully encrypted for security purposes.

How do people pay with NFC?

There are 3 common ways your customers will pay with Contactless (NFC) payments. 

1. Credit or debit card with NFC enabled technology
2. Smartphone featuring Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay wallets
3. Wearable devices like Apple watches