(10 Reasons) Card Contactless Not Working but Chip and Pin is

Is your card contactless not working, but the chip and pin is working?

If your card’s contactless not working, you have landed in the right place.

Here, we have explained all you need to know contactless is not working on your card.

So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Why is my Contactless Not Working but Chip and Pin is

The main reason your contactless is not working is that contactless transactions are not enabled on your card, the limit of the contactless transactions is less than the purchase amount, or the merchant does not support it; you are not tapping the card correctly, or it is a server issue.

Well there can be several other issues why contactless is not working on your card as explained below.

1. Contactless transactions not enabled

The first and foremost reason for contactless payments not working on your card is that you have not enabled contactless transactions on your debit or credit card.

Most cards, by default, comes with disabled contactless transactions.

So, if you have recently received a new card and its contactless is not working, then make sure these types of transactions are turned on.

To turn on the contactless transactions, you will need to log in to your net banking, enable the transactions there, or contact your bank or card provider.

2. Limit of contactless transactions is less

Another reason the contactless payment on your card is declined or not working could be that the limit of the contactless transactions is reached.

For contactless transactions, you can only pay up to a limit which is, by default, quite less.

So, if your card provider allows adjusting your transactions limits, then increase them or set them according to your need.

You can adjust the limits of different types of transactions by logging into your net banking or contacting the bank or card provider.

3. Consecutive contactless transactions

In case you are using your card via contactless consecutively, then it is a potential reason your contactless card transactions are not working anymore.

Most card providers allow only 4-5 times to use contactless transactions when used too frequently.

This is done to protect your funds, just in case someone gets your card and uses it for purchasing items and paying via contactless mode without entering the pin.

So, make sure to use contactless mode on your card only a few times, especially if you are using it too frequently, otherwise, it will get frozen and will not work. However, chip and pin and other mods of the card may still work normally.

4. You’re tapping too quickly or from too far away

Another reason the tap and pay on your card is not working could be that you are tapping the card quickly and isn’t allowing enough time for the card reader to detect your card.

Not bringing the card close to the card reader could also cause the problem.

Moreover, placing the card too close to the reader may also cause issues and result in not detection of the card.

For best results, hold your card within an inch or two of the contactless symbol on the terminal (rounded vertical lines similar to a Wi-Fi signal on its side).

5. Your card is expired

Another reason your credit card or debit card is not working could be that your card has expired, and you aren’t aware of it.

Most of the cards have their expiry date printed on them, so check that your card hasn’t expired.

Your bank also notifies you via SMS or email when your card is going to expire.

6. Card itself is damaged

If the contactless transactions on your card are not working but the chip and pin is, the reason could be that the card itself is damaged.

High temperature, corrosive chemicals, and high magnetic fields are some of the factors that can affect the card’s microchip.

So, if your card is damaged, it won’t work at any swipe machine. In this case, you can request a replacement for the card from your bank.

7. Card flagged for fraud

Your transaction might have been detected as a suspicious one, which could be why your card is not working or getting declined.

In some cases, banks set a security measure that prevents your card from being misused online.

So when you enter your card details on websites, your card prevents you from carrying out the transaction.

So you are required to contact your bank and verify that you are yourself authorizing the transaction. Then the transaction is processed.

8. Insufficient funds

Another reason your card is getting declined is insufficient funds to cover the pending transaction.

Even if you have more than enough money in your account to cover the transaction, there are a number of reasons that you don’t have access to all of your funds. For example, if you recently deposited a check, all the funds may not be immediately available to you.

Another possibility is that certain transactions are not immediately closed out. Common ones include restaurant checks, gas station fuel dispensers, hotel check-ins, and rental vehicles.

A hold is placed on the funds in your account for the estimated amount of the total transaction or a fixed amount to cover the largest typical transaction.

9. Server issues

Lastly, if the contactless on your card is not working, the reason could be the server issues.

It’s always a good idea to get details about the servers of your bank or card provider to confirm whether the problem lies from your end or on the client’s side.

That being said, we would suggest visiting the downdetector website and check the servers of your bank or card provider.

Here, you can check the user comments and reports. If these are significant, it means servers are having issues.