Enel X builds technology solutions designed to support the transition to a more advanced and sustainable society, including payment and financial management tools. Contactless is the term for debit cards and mobile payments that are made without entering a PIN number (for payments that remain under a certain amount) or swiping a card.
What is a contactless card payment? A contactless payment is a type of payment that allows card holders to tap their debit or credit card against the reader without removing the card from their wallet. Today Millions of people all over the world have access to contactless credit and debit cards, which allow them to pay for goods and services by hovering or tapping their card over a terminal instead of inserting it into a machine at a merchant’s point-of-sale system (or “swiping” a card into a terminal) to complete the transaction.
How secure is contactless payment?
As contactless chip cards become increasingly popular, there has been a lot of debate about their security. The common concern being: is contactless payment safe? Is tap to pay safe? A contactless payment is a form of digital payment. Thanks to advancements in digital payment technology and cyber security, including rigorous encryption and authentication protocols, digital payments are more efficient and safer than offline payments. As cash transactions become obsolete and contactless transactions are ever more desired, businesses and consumers want faster, safer, and more convenient payment methods. With innovative technology and rigorous security, digital payments are low risk and provide an additional layer of purchase protection.
Are contactless payments as safe as normal ones?
Is contactless card payment secure? Contactless payments are actually safer than regular ones. The reason for this is because consumers identify themselves through a biometric systems or a PIN number, and the mobile payment system generates an individual security code for each transaction. This makes mobile payments more secure than physical credit cards. Furthermore, the advantage of simple mobile payments is that they eliminate the need for a physical wallet and the need to withdraw cash from an ATM. This saves time, and is also safer because no one can see the contents of the card holder’s wallet or purse, nor observe them while they make a withdrawal.
What are the main benefits of contactless payment?
The benefits are multiple. To verify if your card is contactless you must look for the contactless symbol on the card (four curved lines).
- Payment options for all your cards and devices
- Eliminates the need for a physical wallet and the need to withdraw cash from an ATM.
- It saves time, and is also safer because no one can see the contents of your wallet or purse, or see you making a withdrawal.
- Safer than cash and no PIN required: contactless cards are among the safest forms of payment today. This is because it is extremely difficult for hackers to duplicate the one-time code that contactless credit cards generate for each transaction.
- No longer need to carry cash: tap to pay is safe and it eliminates the need to carry cash. This in turn eliminates the possibility of cash being stolen and also makes payment transactions faster.
- Daily transactions that are allowed are unlimited, although for security reasons, intermittently the card holder’s bank may ask for the PIN to verify the user’s identity.
- No need to worry about lost or stolen cards: If a contactless card is stolen, provided it is reported to the card owner’s bank, the owner is protected against fraud.
Enel X Pay is a financial solution offered by Enel X Financial Services. It is an online account entirely managed by App with a MasterCard in bioplastic and an Italian IBAN, that allows people not only to purchase goods services both on-line and off-line, but also to manage their finances in real time, to set spending budget and transfer money easily and free of charge.
