It's the rapture!

[MrLongbeard]

Covid times totally changed my mind and I now use my phone 95% of the time, the other 5% I use my watch.
In the highly highly unlikely event of them failing I also carry 1 debit, 1 savings and 2 credit cards.
In the monumentally astoundingly unlikely event that all of those fail I usually have £200 - £300 in cash in my wallet, which came in handy for the wee lass that had her card / account rejected whilst trying to pay for petrol last night.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Can't remember the last time I had a card not work, be it on phone or 'real'. Honestly, I struggle to think of a time that's happened to me.

Cash might offer you a comfort blanket, but really it's false comfort. If 'electronic money' didn't work the entire supply chain up to the point where you're about to spend your cash (and indeed, the supply chain to get that cash into your wallet) would fall apart very quickly in all but a few cases. There'd be nowhere to spend your cash and nowhere to get more.

[Slenver]

I don't like the idea that it's possible someone could steal my phone, hack that access and then have access to my bank.

Sure... but your phone presumably has a 4-digit PIN at the very least, and optionally a longer number and/or biometric lock. Your card probably doesn't require any security at all to use wirelessly, and at most has a 4-digit PIN only, so your phone is at least as secure as your card, possibly infinitely so, surely?

[Slenver]

All you who use their phone for a card, that is at least two points of failure. Your phone may not work, or your card may not work. Either way you are stuffed!

How do you mean 'your card may not work' on your phone? As in, the bank connection is down etc? That's the same as for a card. And yeah, your phone may not work, but then your physical card may not work. I've had endless problems over the last few years with cards failing.

There's the same number of points of failure for both I'd say... and IMHO, my phone is *way* more reliable than my cards. Long as it's charged

[KungFooBob]

Come the rapture we'll all be using nuka cola bottle caps as currency.

[Dodgy69]

Think I'm gonna go back to cash for beer outings etc. I know a few now who reckon there bank statements don't look right following a visit.

Reckon they've taken out 'extra transactions ' than should have.

[Noggin]

I don't like the idea that it's possible someone could steal my phone, hack that access and then have access to my bank.

Sure... but your phone presumably has a 4-digit PIN at the very least, and optionally a longer number and/or biometric lock. Your card probably doesn't require any security at all to use wirelessly, and at most has a 4-digit PIN only, so your phone is at least as secure as your card, possibly infinitely so, surely?

Good point. TBF, I have no idea why I don't want to use applepay on my phone. I just don't like the idea but there is no 'good' reason.

Equally, I do prefer to use cash when/where I can but that's more the culture here I suppose.


One question - people seem to be able to pay for really big bills using a phone, but at least with my card I have to be able to put in the pin for anything over 50€ . Is it normal for big values to be paid just using the phone? I suppose it's cos you have to log into the phone first?

[Slenver]

One question - people seem to be able to pay for really big bills using a phone, but at least with my card I have to be able to put in the pin for anything over 50€ . Is it normal for big values to be paid just using the phone? I suppose it's cos you have to log into the phone first?

Yep. You've already securely unlocked the phone before you can use it.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah that £50-75-100 (I think it's down the shop and bank preference?) doesn't apply on phone payments. As ya man says, it's cause you have to unlock the phone and because it (in the case of Google at least, I can't imagine Apple is different) also times out after a couple of minutes. I.e. you have to have unlocked your phone within the last few minutes, so even if you left it unlocked somewhere Google pay still stops working after a few mins.

I've done >£1000 on my phone this way.

I do have a 10 digit pin on my phone now though

[KungFooBob]

I've done >£1000 on my phone this way.

I do have a 10 digit pin on my phone now though

Newer versions of Android don't automatically accept the pin when you enter the correct number of digits. Which used to be six for me.

So I've reduced my pin to four digits because everyone will think its six.

[Cousin Jack]

Long as it's charged

IME cards don't need charging.

Like I said, another point of failure.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've done >£1000 on my phone this way.

I do have a 10 digit pin on my phone now though

Newer versions of Android don't automatically accept the pin when you enter the correct number of digits. Which used to be six for me.

So I've reduced my pin to four digits because everyone will think its six.

Ha...I thought I was the only person who thought about whether to turn off "automatically accept PIN".

[Slenver]

Long as it's charged

IME cards don't need charging.

Like I said, another point of failure.

True, but It's the same point of failure... the phone may not work.

Like I say, I've never had a phone stop working, but I'd say 25% of my cards have failed eventually. They bend, they stop working. I also can't think of a time when I've just run out battery when I've needed to use it.

Either way, both systems work and it's your prerogative to choose the one that you prefer. Not really a competition.

[gremlin]

As a banker, I'll share this:

I have a number of cards in Goggle Wallet for convenience, but I also have an actual debit card in the little card slot in the phone cover. I also have £20 in cash in there.

All bases covered.

[cheb]

As a skeptic I've got cash, a debit card and credit card in my wallet. the debit and credit are from different banks. When traveling I'll have the same in another wallet kept separately.

I've not set up my phone pay for things as I only carry it when necessary. And I'm a tinfoil hat wearing luddite. I've had cards fail and a significant number of businesses now are electronic payment only.

[Count Steer]

As a banker, I'll share this:

I have a number of cards in Goggle Wallet for convenience, but I also have an actual debit card in the little card slot in the phone cover. I also have £20 in cash in there.

All bases covered.

Until you lose the phone....along with the debit card.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've bene thinking about this since people posted it

WTF are you lot doing to your cards? I don't think I've had one fail*...ever. If I've had one fail, I don't remember it

*notwithstanding times when the problem was own skintedness.

[KungFooBob]

I've bene thinking about this since people posted it

WTF are you lot doing to your cards? I don't think I've had one fail*...ever. If I've had one fail, I don't remember it

*notwithstanding times when the problem was own skintedness.

C&P never fails (for me), in the good old mag swipe days they used to go wrong every so often.

[ChrisW]

in the good old mag swipe days they used to go wrong every so often.

Christ, the imprint days were worse. I had an Amex card shatter in one of the machines from over-use, and I'm not even that old.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I was taken aback when my latest new CC (couple of years ago now) didn't have the raised numbers on, they're just printed. Thus you can't use it with a tchunk-tchunk type paper thingymajig.

I was a bit disappointed. But I've never had the opportunity to pay with a CC like that anyway. I just remember my parents doing it.