Viewpoint: What is the highest risk for card-based payment transactions?

In a website research poll that ran from September to December 2016 cardholders were asked, in a card present scenario, which type of transaction they felt is least secure.  31% of respondents answered ‘using an ATM’, 29% ‘using a mobile phone’, 26% ‘using a retail payment terminal’ and 14% ‘using contactless technology’.  The poll results can be seen in the chart below.

Most people make card-based payment transactions on a regular basis.  When doing so trust in the security of the transaction is vital.  The industry consistently works to ensure that this trust is not-misplaced by monitoring transactions and by putting effective security measures in place.

That being said criminals continue to work at finding weak points in current security measures and in developing new ways to fraudulently obtain cash.  This results in ‘technology chase’ as both sides react to the actions of the other.

How safe you feel as a cardholder when making a card-based payment transaction is of paramount concern to the industry.  The EAST Payments Task Force (EPTF) is currently focusing on payment research.

The current website research poll, which closes at the end of April, is also on payment security and asks those who have had a payment card compromised for information on where the compromise took place.  To take it, and to see all past results, visit the ATM Research Page on this website.