Banks decided to raise limits for contactless card payments without a PIN code
6 April 2020 - 4 min Reading time
Contactless payment: it is fast, easy and safe. And above all: it is - in full corona times - more than ever the most hygienic way to pay for purchases. You don't have to touch the keyboard of the payment terminal or touch it less often. That is why the banks have decided to raise the limits for contactless card payments without a PIN code.
- In order to contain the spread of the corona virus, traders ask to pay digitally as much as possible.
- Contactless payment is not only safe but also hygienic: people do not touch the keyboard of the payment terminal or touch it less often.
- The transactional limit for contactless card payments without a PIN code will be raised in Belgium from EUR 25 to EUR 50 per card payment: consumers will only have to enter a PIN code for a payment of more than EUR 50.
- For those who make several contactless card payments without a PIN code, the cumulative limit will also be raised to 100 euros.
- From April 14, the payment terminals that are active today - within the current quarantine measures - will be gradually adjusted to the new limits.
- Febelfin provides videos that show how digital payments work.
The amount of 25 euros per contactless card payment will be increased to 50 euros. You no longer need to enter a pin code for a payment below or equal to 50 euros. While you used to be able to make a total of no more than 50 euros in consecutive contactless card payments without a PIN code, that cumulative amount will also be increased to 100 euros.
From April 14, the payment terminals that are active today - within the current quarantine measures - will be gradually adjusted to the new limits.
Why are the limits for contactless payments without a PIN code being increased?
Digital is more important than ever today. To help contain the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible, we all arrange our daily lives digitally as much as possible. This is also the case for payments.
Thanks to the fact that people do not or less often touch the keyboard of the payment terminal, contactless payment is an ideal way to contribute to the containment of the corona virus. That is why Febelfin and its members have decided to raise the limits of contactless card payments without a PIN code.
When will you have to enter a pin code or not?
Anyone who makes a payment below or equal to 50 euros will not have to enter a PIN code. Until now, that amount was set at 25 euros. Those who make several consecutive contactless card payments without a PIN code will also have to enter their PIN code less quickly. Where until now you had to enter your PIN code after a series of payments of, for example, 15 euros, 16 euros and 24 euros (because you reached a total amount of more than 50 euros), you will now only have to enter it after a total amount of 100 euros.
Contactless payment with your card: how does that work with the new limits?
- The merchant enters the amount you have to pay.
- Hold your payment card close to the contactless symbol on the payment terminal.
- Do you pay less than 50 euros? Or just 50? You do not have to do anything.
- Do you pay more than 50 euros? No problem! The payment terminal asks you to enter your PIN code.
- If you make serveral contactless payments without a PIN code for more than 100 euros (e.g. 10 euros + 45 euros + 25 euros + 25 euros), you must insert your payment card into the terminal for the last payment and enter your pin code. From then on it will again be possible to pay contactless without a PIN code.
- Wait a minute …
- The screen of the terminal will let you know whether your payment is in order.
- Success? Remove your payment card now and immediately request your proof of payment.
