Contactless payments
How contactless payments work, how to set your contactless limit and what to do if your contactless is not working.
How do contactless payments work?
Contactless payments are a simple and easy way to pay for things.
Check your card has the contactless symbol
If it does, you're ready to use contactless.
Tap your card on the card machine
You'll need to tap your device if you're using a wallet app like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
Make sure the card machine authorises your payment
Your device will usually notify you to confirm a payment, if you're using a wallet app.
Information:
When you use contactless, some shops won't check with us to see if you have enough money in your account before you pay. So your balance could go below £0, or over an arranged overdraft or credit limit. Make sure you have enough money in your account before you make a contactless payment.
What are our contactless limits?
You can make contactless payments of up to £100 from all our adult current accounts and credit cards.
The contactless payments limit for our FlexOne children's account is £45.
You can make as many contactless payments as you'd like in a day. But sometimes you'll need to use Chip and PIN to verify it's you.
Contactless mobile payment limits
You can also make contactless payments using wallet apps on your mobile phone, including:
By default, the maximum amount you can pay in one transaction with digital wallets is £250,000.
Can you change your card's contactless limit?
It’s easy to set your own contactless limit for Nationwide debit cards and digital wallets using our Banking app. You just need to select Manage Cards, then select Contactless.
You can’t change your contactless limit for Nationwide credit cards.
If you'd like to never use the contactless feature, we can send you a new card with contactless permanently disabled. To get a replacement card, you'll need to give us a call, or visit your local branch.
Remember, you don't have to use contactless to pay for something. You can continue to make Chip and PIN payments instead.
Current account holders
Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm.
Sundays 9am to 5pm.
UK: 03457 30 20 11
Abroad: +44 1793 65 67 89
Credit card holders
Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm.
Sundays and bank holidays, 9am to 5pm.
UK: 03456 00 66 11
Abroad: +44 2476 43 89 97
Is your contactless not working?
Try using Chip and PIN instead. Put your card into the card machine and enter your PIN.
You'll need to use Chip and PIN:
- when you’re using a new contactless card for the first time
- if you’re making a payment of more than £100
- every now and then so we can check it's you using your card.
How do you get a contactless card?
When you open a current account or take out a credit card with us, we'll send you a contactless card to use. If you’re opening a FlexOne current account, you can choose a cash card instead of a contactless card.
Once you've activated your card, you'll be able to make contactless payments.
How to activate your contactless card
You'll be able to use contactless after you've made your first Chip and PIN payment. That's when you put your card into a card machine and enter your PIN to pay for something.
Are contactless payments safe?
Contactless payments are a safe and secure way to pay. They use the same technology as normal Chip and PIN payments. And there are limits on how much you can spend.
Using contactless abroad
You can pay with contactless outside the UK. Your payment limit is different when you use contactless abroad.
How do you turn off contactless?
If you’re sure you don’t want to be able to make contactless payments, you have 2 options:
- you can order a debit or credit card with contactless disabled. Please note that if you add a contactless-disabled card to your digital wallet, you’ll still be able to use that to make contactless payments, or
- you can turn off and on contactless for debit cards and digital wallet payments using our Banking app by selecting Manage Cards, then selecting Contactless.
In some cases, your contactless payments may still go through if the merchant doesn’t check with us first. For example, on a plane.