FAQs
What are the benefits of Visa payWave for
cardholders?
The benefits of Visa payWave include:
- Shorter queuing times
- Quicker transaction times
- Added convenience
What does the Visa payWave card look like?
A Visa payWave card looks like any other Visa card but features
the distinctive payWave indicator.
Will I have to pay extra for Visa payWave?
Visa Europe has no influence over the charges or fees set by
banks and card issuers. However, we do not expect that banks will
charge extra for Visa payWave.
How do I get Visa payWave?
How and when your card is issued will depend on your bank or
card issuer. If you are interested in experiencing Visa payWave for
yourself, you should look out for communications from your bank or
any related advertisements.
How does Visa payWave work?
Visa payWave uses highly secure, short-range wireless technology
to exchange payment instructions between a chip card and a chip
card terminal. For payments of less than €20 (or a local market
equivalent, eg £20 in the UK), you simply hold your card in front
of the card reader. The transaction takes place in less than a
second. Although the transaction does not require a PIN, several
sophisticated anti-fraud measures have been incorporated. For
example, a pre-set limit for Visa payWave transactions will be set
by the card issuer. This limit is automatically reset each time a
standard chip and PIN transaction is conducted. If this pre-set
limit is ever exceeded, the Visa payWave terminal will
automatically ask for a chip and PIN transaction to be
conducted.
What consumer research has been conducted?
Visa has already worked with banks to introduce Visa payWave to
cardholders in Asia and the United States. Research in these
regions, and feedback from existing European cardholders, indicates
that consumers are receptive to Visa payWave, that they welcome the
speed and convenience it offers and that they have complete
confidence in the Visa brand.
Visa Europe has supplemented these findings with extensive
consumer research.
Can tips or gratuities be added to a Visa payWave
payment?
Yes, subject to the capability of the terminal. The tip would
need to be added before the card is presented for payment, as the
total would be subject to the €20 (or a local market equivalent, eg
£20 in the UK) maximum.
Can I get cash back with Visa payWave?
Yes, though only if the card is being used for a normal chip and
PIN transaction above €20 (or a local market equivalent, eg £20 in
the UK) at the point of sale wherever cash back is available. If
you use your card for a contactless transaction below this amount,
you will not be able to get cash back.
Can I withdraw cash from an ATM with Visa
payWave?
Yes, you can use your Visa payWave card for withdrawals at ATMs
as you would with a standard Visa card.
Will credit card issuers treat Visa payWave payments as
cash transactions?
No. Visa payWave payments will be treated just like any other
purchase – unless, of course, the transaction is usually treated as
cash (eg a foreign currency advance).
How do I know that only one Visa payWave transaction has
been conducted?
All Visa payWave terminals are tested and certified to confirm
that a card is only read once before the transaction is concluded.
Visa payWave terminals are designed to only make one transaction
per card. As a safeguard, each transaction must be complete or void
before another one can take place.
Will I get a receipt for a Visa payWave
transaction?
Retailers do not have to provide a receipt with a Visa payWave
transaction to maximise the speed of the transaction process. If
you would like a receipt, you should ask for one from the merchant.
A few terminals, such as vending machines, may not be capable of
printing a receipt. However, clear messages and indicators on the
card reader will confirm that a transaction has been
successful.
Will my statement show which payments were made using
Visa payWave?
All transactions will appear on the card statement like any
other transaction made on the same Visa credit or debit card.
What types of retailer will accept Visa
payWave?
We expect Visa payWave to be popular in busy locations where
payment values tend to be small, and speed of service is a
priority.
Typically, this will include fast food outlets, supermarkets,
sandwich shops, coffee bars, vending machines, car parking
machines, convenience stores, newsagents, pubs and transport
providers.
Can I use Visa payWave abroad?
Your card will be accepted for Visa payWave transactions
wherever you see the symbol – at home or around the world.
Of course, you can still use your Visa card for normal chip and
PIN, internet, telephone or mail order payments wherever you see
the Visa sign – at approximately 24 million merchants
worldwide.
If I get too close to a Visa payWave terminal, is there
any risk of my card getting ‘charged’ accidentally?
No. We have designed Visa payWave to ensure that the cardholder
is always in control. A terminal is only active to receive a
payment once the retailer instigates a contactless transaction, and
your card must be held right in front of the card reader (within
five centimetres) for more than half a second.
If a merchant doesn’t have a Visa payWave terminal, can
I still use my card?
Yes. If the merchant accepts Visa, you can still make chip and
PIN payment as normal.
How secure is my card?
Very secure. The chip on your card uses the highest level of
cryptography and the latest smart card technologies. Visa payWave
uses the same secure technology that’s behind chip and PIN.
Could the information from Visa payWave be intercepted
during a transaction?
Visa payWave only works when a card is in very close proximity
to a card reader – making it virtually impossible for the payment
information to be intercepted en route.
Also, each card reader contains security technology based on
industry-wide standards. Visa has worked with a wide range of
industry bodies and technology companies to ensure only the best
security solutions are adopted.