Contactless payments

When you get a new card, you’ll need to use it with your PIN in a shop, or at a cash machine, to enable contactless payments.

You can make contactless payments wherever you see the contactless symbol, both in the UK and abroad¹. We’ll occasionally ask you to enter your PIN, to prove it’s you using the card.

Contactless payments are taken from your account and will show on your bank statement, in Online Banking and in the Barclays app (if you’re registered). You can get a notification when money enters or leaves your account, so you can spot any transactions that don’t look right. You can switch notifications on in the Barclays app².

Can I change my contactless payment settings?

Your contactless limit is automatically set at £100. If that feels too high, you can use your app to make it lower, or turn contactless payments off altogether.

It’s quickest to change your settings in the app, but if you don’t have it, you can contact us to change them.

Is contactless payment safe?

Our contactless debit cards include the latest advanced security features required by the payment card industry. Payments are covered by the same fraud protection as your Chip and PIN transactions, provided you don’t reveal your card details to anyone else. As an extra precaution, we'll occasionally ask you to enter your PIN to make sure it's you.

If your card is lost or stolen, report it in the Barclays app or Online Banking, or call us as soon as possible on 0800 400 100*. You can also visit a branch to let us know.

Can someone steal my debit card and use its contactless technology to empty my bank account?

If you make several payments in a row, we’ll ask you to enter the card’s PIN. This can help protect your account if your card is stolen, too. No one can spend more than the card’s contactless limit in a single contactless transaction. That limit is automatically set at £100, but you can choose a lower limit in your app. It’s quickest to change your settings in the app, but if you don’t have it, you can contact us to change them.

If your card is lost or stolen, let us know immediately and we'll cancel and replace it for you. If you haven’t acted fraudulently or without reasonable care, you won’t be liable for any fraudulent transactions.

If I carry more than one contactless card, is there a danger I’ll pay with the wrong one?

Card readers reject payment if more than one card comes into range. This means you’d have to separate your cards before making a payment, ensuring it’s with the one you intended to use.

Can fraudsters use contactless technology to obtain my card details?

There is a very small risk this could happen. The information sent by the chip in a contactless card only includes the card number and expiry date, so not enough to do any harm. Security information, such as the 3-digit security code on the back of a card and your PIN, isn’t sent.