Financial technology is constantly evolving — and for good reason. Scammers and hackers are constantly trying to weasel their way into other people’s finances and steal what they can. Back in 2015, the widespread retail shift to EMV chip debit cards was the latest development in payment card safety. However, commercial EMV chip use actually dates back to the 1980s, so it’s hardly cutting-edge technology. It makes sense that EMV chips are already being eclipsed by the newest technology: contactless cards and phone payment.
Google and Apple introduced contactless mobile payment technology in 2011 and 2014, respectively. This expedited the shift to contactless payments that we’re experiencing today. These relatively new payment options offer top-of-the-line security and unmatched convenience. As the name implies, these payment methods also minimize contact — a major benefit in the age of COVID.
Benefits of a Contactless Debit Card
There’s no reason not to opt for contactless and digital payment options. Plus, contactless physical cards like the MoneyLion Debit Mastercard still have a chip and magnetic stripe. So you can wave your card over the reader contact free, or you can do a traditional swipe or chip insert if you prefer. It can be added to your mobile wallet too, of course.
Here are a few of the major benefits a contactless debit card user can expect to enjoy.
Pay Quickly
It may sound trivial, but the benefit of a swift and smooth transaction shouldn’t be understated. When the cashier is staring at you, waiting for the payment to go through, traditional card payment systems can leave you struggling with the machine. With contactless cards, you won’t have to worry about card read errors, whether you swiped the card too fast or too slow, or any of the other little hang-ups that slow down your check-out process. Just tap or wave the card, and your work is done.
Skip Your PIN
In many cases, contactless debit cards are truly contactless; that means you don’t have to type in a PIN or sign your name. This is largely up to the merchant, as to whether they want to enable this feature for contactless payment, so you may still be required to give your PIN or signature from time to time. Still, in many cases, contactless cards can remove any need to touch anything at the cash register.
Keep in mind that there are limits to transactions that aren’t verified with a signature or PIN. If you want to spend more than that limit with your contactless card, you’ll have to enter your PIN or sign your name.
Add Payment to Your Phone
One of the best parts about using contactless payment methods is that you can leave the cards at home altogether. Contactless cards can be added directly to your phone’s wallet app. For example, you can instantly receive a virtual debit card from MoneyLion — just moments after signing up for an account. These virtual cards have all the security of physical payment cards, but they’re integrated into the phone you already have in your pocket, so you don’t have to carry around anything extra while you’re out and about.
Virtual payment cards have the added benefit of removing transaction limits. Sure, you can sign your name or enter your PIN to get around the limits with contactless cards, but with a virtual card, there aren’t any spending limits (aside from the overall spending limits on your account). You can input your PIN on your phone or use the facial recognition verification built into your phone’s security features. Get all the security of using a PIN, as well as the expanded transaction limit, without sacrificing your safety by touching high-use surfaces like a card reader.
You Can Still Swipe or Dip If You Want
Contactless cards are built with the latest payment technology, but they’re still compatible with less high-tech payment systems. If you come across an ATM or store that hasn’t updated to contactless systems yet, simply use your EMV chip or magnetic strip.
Contactless cards give you peace of mind; no matter where you are, you’ll be able to complete the transaction in the safest and most secure way possible.
COVID-Friendly
We’re living in strange times, and while the science surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly developing, one thing is clear: the less often you touch public things, the better.
We don’t know how long we’ll be living in this situation, but as long as we are, contactless cards and virtual payments will be the safest way to complete transactions. Even after the global community overcomes these trying circumstances, it’s still a good idea to minimize your contact with high-touch public items and enjoy the other contactless card benefits described above.
Get Started With Contactless Pay Today
When you’re ready to get started with contactless pay from RoarMoney, signing up is a quick and easy process. Start by downloading the MoneyLion app. Then, answer a few basic questions about yourself so MoneyLion can verify your identity. Once you’re set up with your RoarMoney account, add cash and add the virtual debit card to your phone. Your physical contactless card will arrive in the mail about 10 business days later.
