Originally Published Thursday 26th March 2020. UPDATED: 1st June 2020.
The contactless card transaction limit increased to £45 from 1st April 2020 to help social distancing with COVID-19.
Will it help?
At the moment, every little helps, as pin keypads are of course capable of carrying the virus, and many stores hand terminals back and forth when chip and pin is used.
Chip & Pin authentication will be required on payment cards over £45 and when the customer does several contactless transactions without authentication.
So, how can you reduce the risk of infection from the pin pad?
Encouraging customers to use mobile wallets in store will reduce the risks associated with using the pin-pad as they authenticate on the mobile device. The liability shift rules, protecting your business from most chargebacks, apply as for chip and pin.
Your terminals may already be set up for this, though your terminal provider will help with any simple settings changes or software updates needed
Hints & Tips
- Ensure staff wear gloves and encourage use of contactless.
- Consider mounting terminals, so staff do not need to handle them.
- Encourage your customers to use mobile wallets – e.g. Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
UK Finance has issued a helpful guide, including:
- Staff training ideas to reassure customers worried about using contactless or mobile
- Reassurance over chargeback and fraud protection
To help businesses survive the coming weeks and months, our global network of industry specialists are here to help. To learn more about the above or gain advice on any other matters concerning your business, explore expensereduction.com.