Visa payWave FAQ

A. Visa payWave is a fast and convenient way to pay for everyday purchases. It is a secure, contactless chip technology designed to help you spend less time at the cash register and give you the freedom to do the things that matter most to you.

A. All G&C Mutual Bank Visa Debit and Visa Credit Cards are issued with the distinctive contactless mark and some cards may also feature the Visa payWave. Whenever you see the contactless mark, you’ll need to hold your card within 4cm of the secure contactless reader for the payment to work. The display on the reader provides you with information about the transaction. It takes less than half a second to read the card details, after which you can remove your card and the transaction will shortly be completed. Most of the time, you won’t be asked to sign or enter a PIN, but for more expensive purchases^* you always will.

Here's a step by step guide:

1. Look for the contactless and Visa payWave logos at the point of sale.
2. The cashier enters the purchase amount into the terminal. This amount is displayed on the Visa payWave reader.
3. When the first green link blinks, hold your card over the reader at close range (less than 4 cm from where the logo appears).
4. A green light will indicate when the transaction is complete. You can choose to have a receipt printed, but this is optional. No signature or pin is required.^*

^* up to the local amount, no signature or PIN is required.

A. No, as Visa payWave readers will only communicate with one card at a time. If the shop’s reader finds more than one contactless card in your wallet or purse, you will be asked to select one card to pay.

A. No. Your card has to be waved within 4cm of the card reader for more than half a second and the retailer must have first entered the amount for you to approve. Terminals can only process one payment transaction at a time, therefore reducing transaction errors.

A. Visa payWave provides faster transactions and increased convenience while still maintaining Visa’s high-security standards. Visa payWave cards use the same secure technology as any other Visa chip card.

In addition, cardholders remain in control of their cards during the entire transaction, further reducing the risk of fraud.

A. The card transmits information including the account number, expiration date and a unique dynamic code that changes for every in-person transaction. The unique code is different than the one encoded on the magnetic stripe of a Visa card. So if a criminal attempts to use intercepted data to manufacture and use a counterfeit card, the bank or credit union that issued you your card would be able to identify the transaction as fraudulent.

A. Visa payWave-enabled cards contain an embedded chip that uses advanced cryptographic security to generate a unique code for each and every transaction. So if a criminal attempts to use intercepted data to manufacture a counterfeit card, the bank that issued your card would be able to identify and prevent the transaction.