- Quick and easy: place your card against the reader, wait for the green light and your payment is complete.
- Convenient: no need to worry about loose change or using your PIN every single time.
- Secure: contactless uses the same security features as Chip and PIN (you can learn more about this by going to the 'Security is our priority' section).
- Flexible: you can choose to use contactless or not as your card can still be used for Chip and PIN transactions.
New customers will automatically receive a contactless card when they apply for a Santander business current account or credit card.
If you're an existing business current account or credit card customer, you will automatically receive a contactless card when your current card expires.
Activate your card
When you get your new contactless card, you must use it for a Chip and PIN or cash machine transaction before making a contactless purchase (so we know you’ve received your card). Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to make contactless payments.
If you need help with your card, please contact us
Paying with contactless
Any retailer who displays the Contactless Indicator can accept contactless payments. There are many shops, restaurants and cafes which already accept contactless payments and the list is growing.
You must use your new contactless card with your PIN at least once then follow the steps below to start making contactless payments.
- Touch the reader with your contactless card.
- You’ll know if the payment’s been successful when you see the green light and hear the beep.
- The reader will confirm that your payment is approved.
If you touch your purse or wallet containing more than one contactless card (including an Oyster card, contactless debit or credit card) on a reader you could experience card clash. Therefore we strongly recommend that you remove the card you want to use from your wallet or purse when touching the reader to make sure the right card is used. But don’t worry, if you do present two cards to the reader by mistake, only one payment will be taken because the card readers are only able to make one transaction at a time.
The Contactless Indicator mark, consisting of four graduating arcs, is a trademark owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC.
Making payments without entering any security details or a PIN may raise some concerns. We’d like to reassure you just how safe and secure contactless payments actually are.
Protecting you
Contactless uses the latest secure encryption technology (the same as Chip and PIN) so you can feel confident when using it to pay for things. It only works when a card is close to the card reader. This makes it virtually impossible for any details to be intercepted while in use. For extra protection, sometimes you may have to enter your PIN during a contactless transaction just to make sure it’s always you using the card. To ensure cards cannot be intercepted and used fraudulently, new contactless cards will not work until you complete a Chip and PIN or cash machine transaction.
When you pay with contactless
- You can see your contactless spending in your online banking, mobile app, and account statement.
- The contactless card readers can only carry out one transaction at a time; each transaction must be complete or void before another can take place.
- You couldn’t unknowingly make a purchase as you walk past a reader because the retailer must have entered the amount for you to approve first, and then your card has to be held within a few centimetres of the reader for longer than half a second.
Lost or stolen cards
If your card is lost or stolen, you’re protected against fraud provided you let us know as soon as you realise your card is lost or stolen and you have taken the proper precautions to keep your card and security details safe, as outlined in our terms and conditions.
If your card is lost or stolen or you think that it or the personal security details or card number may be misused, or that someone may know your personal security details or PIN, you must contact us as soon as possible. For more information, please take a look at our lost or stolen cards page.