The latest security recommendation is to use a Security Screened Wallet that will prevent access to your Credit Card through Near Field Communication (NFC) or RFID while it is in your pocket. Why is this a thing? Well, if you only need to tap your card on a Credit Card reader to pay (Contactless Payment), then a criminal only needs to have a portable Credit Card Reader and needs to get close enough to your card in a packed Luas or train to also be able to take money from you.
Credit Card companies say that this is not a risk and the limit to EUR 30 protects you further, but read the TINY print, i.e. the Terms & Conditions and you will see that they are well aware that there are risks and they have a lot of responsibilities put in your court.
Tapping your card is convenient, but I never found it a huge challenge to type in my code when I use a credit card. The time you save might be 30 seconds all in and that is really not a convenience game changer.
So I never would need to “tap” my credit card and therefore I made sure that it will not even have that functionality. The consequence is that I do NOT need a security screened wallet because no criminal could “tap” my card either against a will.
Some say that credit card companies/banks don’t give you cards that do NOT have the NFC or RFID functionality. But I would have to ask you if you are really certain and if you have not just asked, but insisted.
I have cards from 2 banks and a credit card company and none of them has the NFC/RFID functionality. All I needed to do was ask for cards without it!
If your bank refused to give you a card without it, tell the bank that you will then disconnect the RFID antenna within the card and familiarise yourself about the disconnection trick via YouTube clips. Example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9vTvbHgi2M You will “damage” the card and the credit card company/bank might tell you that you are not allowed to do that. Then openly tell them that you will damage the card UNLESS they send you one without the “Tapping” or contactless payment option.
