Contactless Payments – How Safe Is It?

Radio Interview with SA FM

As the world struggles through a global pandemic that has, through the manner of its transmission, severely constrained human contact, so new ways have been found to do what we usually do – but without touching strange surfaces any more than we have to. Is it then any wonder, that the use of tap and go payments has snowballed? After all, this is a payment method that is marketed as contactless, and can be applied not only to cards, but also to many wearable devices.

At the same time, perhaps the only thing faster than a lockdown order is the speed at which cyber-criminals latch onto new ways of parting the unsuspecting with their cash and data.  Therefore, when it comes to tap and go functionality, security is of paramount importance. Moreover, security does not fall within the ambit of only one particular link in the value chain – banks, retailers and yes, users too, have a part to play in safeguarding these devices and transactions.

“It is important for consumers to be educated around how to protect themselves and their data when using devices or wearables that offer tap and go functionality,” says Ilonka Badenhorst, Managing Executive at the Wireless Applications Service Providers’ Association (WASPA). She chats to Songezo from SA FM to unpack this further.

Listen to the full interview here: