Pay contactless with EC card - all information

Paying contactlessly and quickly with an EC card in a supermarket offers many advantages. We summarized what you should know about this payment method and which information is particularly important for you in our practical tip.

Contactless payment with EC card - you should know that

• So that you can make contactless payments with your EC card, you need an NFC chip. This chip establishes the latest type of communication between your card and the reader of the supermarket or the point of sale. Behind NFC is the English abbreviation "Near Field Communication". Modern smartphones also have this type of communication.
• Note: You can tell whether your card has an NFC chip by a wireless sign, as you know from the WLAN display on your smartphone. Alternatively, the "paypass" lettering also indicates an NFC chip. If you do not have these symbols, ask your bank branch for a new card.
• As soon as you are closer than four centimeters with your card to the reader, payment can be made by EC card.
• There are no financial limits for contactless payment. You only have to confirm your payment with the card PIN or with your signature from an amount of more than 25 euros. This also protects you from thieves who want to shop with the stolen debit card.
• You still cannot make contactless payments everywhere, so the readers must be equipped or replaced accordingly. Where it is already possible, you will be made aware of this by means of appropriate information at the cash register. It also happens that the cashiers take the card and hold it in front of the reader, just as they always inserted the card before.
• If you want to hold the card in front of the reader yourself, pay attention to the areas marked accordingly. The transaction can only be carried out there.

Do you think you are paying with an EC card? This video proves the opposite

Another practical tip gives you an overview of the fees and costs of an EC card.