Barclays Finally Supports Apple Pay in United Kingdom

[lionsy]

It's way easier for me to just use contactless pay than Apple Pay on my phone. All I need to do is hold the card over the reader and boom! Done

All I need to do is hold my phone over the card reader and it's done, what's your point?

You already carry your phone with you, why should we have to bring another thing like a wallet anymore, it about time, really. My daily commute, lunch and various things are all done using my phone now, I don't have to take an extra item in my back pocket with three loyalty cards, a debit card and cash anymore.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Yes. Granted, it's a pain to do. But it still bothers me. I'm not singling out the iPhone here either - all fingerprint readers on phones are vulnerable to this.

http://boingboing.net/2016/03/06/hacking-a-phones-fingerprint.html
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It's mainly because I have to wear plastic gloves due to health problems. It can't read my fingerprint through it.

Ohh, that's a major pity. I have great sympathy for you and am sorry you can't make use of this tech.

One potential possibility is for you to use the Apple Watch with ApplePay. Once you unlock it, as long as it stays on your wrist, it remains unlocked.

To use it, you just double tap the long button on the side and your card appears. Then rotate the watch display toward the reader and the payment goes thru.

In this way, it might be that payment is easier than trying to have to fish a wallet out of a pocket, or card out of wallet while clad with gloves.

Re the hacking aspect, I look at it from a "theory vs practice" and "possible vs probable" aspects. Although hacks are possible, they are not simple to do and unlikely to affect a normal user. In addition, afaik, card hacking is still much easier and more likely (esp because NFC cards have no PIN requirement below a certain threshold.)

 

[withitnow]

The main thing I prefer using Apple Pay as apposed to my contactless debit card is that the money is debited from my account straight away using Apple Pay, this is not the case when using your contactless debit card.

 

[gnasher729]

All I need to do is hold my phone over the card reader and it's done, what's your point?

You already carry your phone with you, why should we have to bring another thing like a wallet anymore, it about time, really. My daily commute, lunch and various things are all done using my phone now, I don't have to take an extra item in my back pocket with three loyalty cards, a debit card and cash anymore.

You are very much restricted then where you get your lunch, for example. Not every restaurant accepts contactless payment, which means you need a card. Not every place where you get a cheap lunch accepts cards at all, so you need cash. And if you miss your last train and need a taxi, you are stuck. I'd never leave home without a card and some cash. Including some cash stashed away that I never touch, for emergencies.

 

[donnie3000]

Tried both my Visa and American Express card and neither have been recognised.

Same for me - Barclaycard Cashback cards are specifically excluded at the moment apparently.

They have said they are working on adding the Visa cashback card very soon but conspicuous by it's absence was any mention of the Amex card. That's the one I would most want to use so I could get my 1% cashback even in places that don't take Amex - and that's probably why they will never add it!

 

[gnasher729]

So dumb American question as I've never used a contactless card, wouldn't it be simple for someone to just walk around with an NFC reader and pick up card numbers randomly to be used later? Maybe card security is a bigger deal here since you pretty much can't buy anything these days without a credit check and it's pretty simple to have someone destroy your credit score by just stealing a card number, don't know if that's how it works in the UK?

Your card or your Apple Pay phone would send a code to the terminal that can only be used once. It only contains your card number in encrypted form, and each single payment is encrypted in a different way. So they can't learn your card number (which is the biggest advantage both for customers and banks), and if they send the code to the bank blindly it will be rejected except for the original purchase.

It works the same with contactless cards and with Apple Pay. The difference is that I could steal your card and I then have everything that is needed to make purchases, therefore contactless cards are limited to £30 per purchase and something like £100 per day, limiting the possible damage. More than that and I need the PIN code. Apple Pay is safer because I can't just steal your phone and start buying things, but old terminals _don't know that_. So they use the same low limits as for contactless cards.

 

[Totalkharnage]

The main thing I prefer using Apple Pay as supposed to my contactless debit card is that the money is debited from my account straight away using Apple Pay, this is not the case when using your contactless debit card.

Pretty sure it's not.

 

[iGeek2014]

Pretty sure it's not.

Depends on your financial institution.

Some UK banks (depending on the amount spent) won't show pending contactless transactions using a physical card.

However Lloyds Bank (regardless of contactless or Apple Pay) always show payments applied to my account but have yet to be processed regardless of the amount spent.

 

[shandyman]

hence why i asked if you're a magician..

no other steps is an outright lie. when people say "apple pay is less convenient because i'd have to pull out my phone and use my fingerprint" they're neglecting to consider the fact they have to take out their card, and unless you're Dynamo you'd have to hold your phone (it won't levitate) and so it's hardly a great hardship to hold it with the thumb over the touch id. neither could particularly be said to be more convenient than the other on the whole.

in your case, i see you don't like to/can't use touch id. clearly for you, that makes cards more convenient but it's totally wrong to generalise based on that one experience (your own).


also, again, i know the above. i'm from the uk.

Personally I can take my phone from my pocket with thumb on Touch ID and pay way quicker than fumbling with a wallet getting card out.

 

[Artimus12]

...

It's worth pointing out if your Barclays Visa Debit card isn't contactless (and can't be used for offline transactions i.e. Pay at the Pump) you wouldn't be able to use the service, sorry.

wait ...what? If it's not contactless, it won't work with Apple Pay you say?
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No, I'm a UK citizen. That's how we roll over here! Barclaycard introduced contactless cards in 2008 and it's great. Kind of weird they have been so slow with Apple Pay - but maybe it's because many people don't really need it/see the benefit and have become so used contactless pay cards.

I refused a contactless card a few years ago, because of teething problems with customers being charged a second time on a card in their possession at the till. I'll use Apple Pay now though.

 

[ArmPol]

Barclaycard are in the process of migrating their MasterCard customers over to the Visa Credit branded credit cards.

It might be worth getting in touch and asking for a replacement card (if yours isn't on your way to you yet).

You may not know this (apologies if you do) but when the £30 limit was introduced last September Barclaycard kept their MasterCard customers at the old £20 limit for contactless payments.

I did not know that iGeek, thanks for the info.

 

[Artimus12]

Not really. They put a ton of money and effort into their propietary bPay system. That will ultimately be money that they poured down the drain.

Who in their right mind would wear one of their bPay bangles, fobs or stickers ***AT A COST*** when the tech is readily available already incorporated in something just about everyone already carries with them?

A flawed business plan is no reason to penalise their customers with delays to the inevitable ...serves the controlling bstrds right.

 

[iGeek2014]

wait ...what? If it's not contactless, it won't work with Apple Pay you say?
[doublepost=1459876442][/doublepost]
I refused a contactless card a few years ago, because of teething problems with customers being charged a second time on a card in their possession at the till. I'll use Apple Pay now though.

I'm not sure if Barclays rolled out contactless Visa Debit cards to qualifying customers as their cards expired or how many are in the system still that can conduct offline transactions but the general rule of thumb (Nationwide excluded) is that if your card isn't contactless usually this means you can't use Apple Pay because it sometimes means you've a Basic Account.

Not always the case (for example Tesco MasterCards aren't contactless but can be added to Apple Pay).

 

[groovyf]

I have a simple question... (as I've not had the opportunity to test yet)... I don't need to double-press the home button to bring up the card, I can simply put my thumb on home button for finger print recognition and bring it near the pay terminal when promoted and it should work?

 

[arkitect]

I have a simple question... (as I've not had the opportunity to test yet)... I don't need to double-press the home button to bring up the card, I can simply put my thumb on home button for finger print recognition and bring it near the pay terminal when promoted and it should work?

Just place your finger on the home button and place the iPhone on or near the reader - you'll get a notification/buzz/message if it has gone through successfully.
Works like magic.

 

[Artimus12]

I'm not sure if Barclays rolled out contactless Visa Debit cards to qualifying customers as their cards expired or how many are in the system still that can conduct offline transactions but the general rule of thumb (Nationwide excluded) is that if your card isn't contactless usually this means you can't use Apple Pay because it sometimes means you've a Basic Account.

Not always the case (for example Tesco MasterCards aren't contactless but can be added to Apple Pay).

Thanks for the feedback.

I was offered, and refused, a contactless card 2 or 3 years back because of reports the tech was still faulty and charging twice for the same transaction, but my account isn't "basic"! it has a ...personally set... overdraught limit and everything.

I think I'm gonna have to give it a test to be certain it'll work when I need it.

 

[iGeek2014]

Thanks for the feedback.

I was offered, and refused, a contactless card 2 or 3 years back because of reports the tech was still faulty and charging twice for the same transaction, but my account isn't "basic"! it has a ...personally set... overdraught limit and everything.

I think I'm gonna have to give it a test to be certain it'll work when I need it.

Let me know how you get on.

Haven't heard (personally) of being people being charged twice in the past for contactless transactions; I suppose payments could be earmarked several times if the transaction appears to go through and subsequently declines.

Then again after a number of days (usually) the earmarked funds become available to spend.

 

[NightFox]

Anyone else still waiting for their authentication code SMS from Barclays? I've re-requested it 3 times now in the last 2hrs. Don't want to use their phone number as I imagine the hold time will be horrendous today!

 

[iGeek2014]

I have a simple question... (as I've not had the opportunity to test yet)... I don't need to double-press the home button to bring up the card, I can simply put my thumb on home button for finger print recognition and bring it near the pay terminal when promoted and it should work?

It should, yes. I prefer to "double click" the home button when I'm using the London Underground as it saves time tapping in/out of the journey.

I've sometimes armed my iPhone/Watch ready to complete a transaction in store (for example: The Co-Op) and it has on occasion taken longer to finish the purchase because the PIN pad has been playing "catch up".

 

[NowConverted]

Too late. Thanks to slowness I happily switched to NationWide and now I get 1.3% interest on my ISA, interest on my current account and I also got £100 because a friend of mine reccomended me (even with Apple Pay there are no reason to stay with them currently).

BTW, I'm loving Apple Pay so far.

 

[jhc]

Barclays are not currently supporting all cards with Apple Pay. Specifically the Barclaycard Partner American Express and Visa Credit Cashback cards do not work yet. I spoke to Barclays today and they said that support for these cards is coming soon. Frustrating!

 

[BSben]

I'm not sure if Barclays rolled out contactless Visa Debit cards to qualifying customers as their cards expired or how many are in the system still that can conduct offline transactions but the general rule of thumb (Nationwide excluded) is that if your card isn't contactless usually this means you can't use Apple Pay because it sometimes means you've a Basic Account.

Not always the case (for example Tesco MasterCards aren't contactless but can be added to Apple Pay).

I have two HSBC debit cards, one current account and one savings account and one credit card. For reasons unknown to me I never got any contactless cards from HSBC, but all of them work with Apple Pay.

 

[flipshot]

Same for me - Barclaycard Cashback cards are specifically excluded at the moment apparently.

They have said they are working on adding the Visa cashback card very soon but conspicuous by it's absence was any mention of the Amex card. That's the one I would most want to use so I could get my 1% cashback even in places that don't take Amex - and that's probably why they will never add it!

It doesn't quite work like that, the retailer still needs to accept Amex as well as Apple Pay. In fact lots of people have trouble with Amex on Apple Pay even in retailers that accept Amex as they haven't updated their terminals to accept Amex contactless.

 

[AdamskiUK]

It is.

I'm jealous - I've just taken a quick look around and a majority of banks don't hand out contactless credit cards. Looks like Santander, Lloyds and Barclay's are the only real ones right now.

 

[big-ted]

Not doubting you, but my SWMBO works in Tesco, Barclays did some back-end work on the CC machines a few weeks ago and turned on the contactless payments, (either by accident or design) Tesco were quick to issue staff instructions to turn it off again immediately.

Works in our local Tesco Extra inside the M25, the self service till even has a special button on the self service screen for NFC payments

I'd also rather use my phone/watch when paying for petrol rather than using a card, not that I'm saying petrol stations are dodgy but...