Contactless Cards: Now, Tap to Pay With Speed and Security
Contactless cards are here! We’ve updated our Mid Carolina Visa® debit cards with the added feature of contactless payment — a fast, secure way to pay.
Contactless cards use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, allowing you to tap your card to pay for your purchases, rather than swiping or inserting the card into a payment terminal. Wondering what makes contactless cards so popular?
Speed and convenience: With no need to insert a chip, payments can typically be completed in just a second or two.
Security: The RFID technology used in contactless cards generates a unique code for each transaction, so your card details are not stored or transmitted during the payment process.
If you still prefer to use the chip, or if a vendor doesn’t offer contactless payments yet, your Mid Carolina Visa debit card still works that way too.
How do I get a contactless card?
Mid Carolina Credit Union is gradually making contactless debit cards available to our Members! Any new personal or business debit card will include contactless functionality. This includes new debit cards for new Members and replacement debit cards for expiring cards. The goal is to begin making the benefits of contactless payments available to our Members over time. Eventually, all Mid Carolina Members will receive new contactless cards when their current debit card expires or is reissued. When a non-contactless card expires, you will receive a card that includes contactless functionality in the mail.
How do I use tap to pay?
Once you’ve activated your new card, you’ll be ready to start using tap to pay. Here’s how it works:
Look for the Contactless Symbol
You can identify when tap to pay is an option by looking for the Contactless Symbol at checkout. When you see the symbol, it means the retailer has enabled tap to pay.Tap & Go
When you’re ready to pay, simply bring your contactless card within an inch or two of the Contactless Symbol on the checkout terminal and hold it there for a couple of seconds until the point-of-sale system approves your transaction. That’s it!
What else do I need to know?
When scammers find out that financial institutions are issuing new cards, they often increase their scam attempts, particularly phishing scams designed to get your money and personal information. That’s why it’s important to be vigilant when reviewing any communication that appears to come from Mid Carolina Credit Union.
We won’t send you any text messages that ask you to click on a link to update your information before receiving a new contactless card, and we will never make unsolicited contact to ask you for verification codes or complete account & card information. When in doubt, please reach out to us directly by calling 803-432-8521 or eservices@midcarolinacu.com.
Contactless Card Security Myths
Let’s dispel some common myths around contactless cards and security.
You can’t make a purchase by accident. The merchant must initiate the payment and your card must be within a few inches of the checkout to authorize the transaction.
You can’t be charged twice by accident. Contactless cards use dynamic data that changes for every transaction, so you would not be charged twice for the same transaction.
You can’t accidentally pay with multiple contactless cards. The checkout terminal can only communicate with one card at a time. If you have more than one contactless card, simply use one individual card at the terminal rather than holding your entire wallet near it.
Contactless cards are just as secure as chip cards. It is extremely unlikely that someone would have specialized skimming technology and be near your card for a long period of time, making it very improbable that someone could compromise your card information. Because contactless cards use dynamic data, it is also very difficult for someone to use skimmed card information for future fraud.
You do not need a special wallet or protective sleeve. You can keep your contactless card secure with all the other cards in your wallet.
Contactless cards do not track your location. The contactless feature on your card is not a locator system. It is intended to enhance the checkout experience.