What is contactless payment?

Verified 10 September 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Contactless payment is a fast method of payment, by credit card or mobile phone. You can use it to make small purchases at a merchant equipped with a terminal. For a given period (per day, per week or per month), the cumulative amount of contactless payments is limited.

Credit card

Contactless payment allows you to make a purchase by bringing your credit card within 4 centimeters of a special box called electronic payment terminal (EPT).

The payment order is therefore given without secret code composition, without signature and without presentation of identity document.

For security reasons, the maximum amount of a contactless payment is limited to €50 by operation.

Your bank sets a ceiling on the cumulative amount of authorized "contactless" purchases (per day, per week or per month).

The maximum number of consecutive transactions allowed is also limited.

When a limit is exceeded, you must use another means of payment or pay by inserting your credit card into the VSE.

In case of loss or the theft orfraudulent use with your credit card, the procedures to be followed are the same depending on whether your card is equipped with contactless or not.

Please note

The use of a protective case to block remote capture of card data is recommended.

Mobile phone

To use a mobile phone as a means of payment, 2 conditions The following must be completed:

  • Your phone must be equipped with NFC ("Near Field Communication")
  • Your bank must offer contactless mobile payment.

Once you have installed the mobile payment app on your phone, you need to register your credit card (or scan it directly through your phone).

To enable contactless payment, make sure you have accepted permissions necessary and in particular the NFC settings (Near Field Communication)

Contactless payment allows you to make a purchase by bringing your mobile phone within 4 centimeters of a special case, called electronic payment terminal (EPT).

Thanks to the unlocking of your phone by biometric security means (facial recognition, fingerprint or mobile PIN), you can exceed the €50 without entering your code on the payment terminal.

The limits that may exist are the payment ceilings of your credit card, set in your account agreement.

This can be a cumulative amount for authorized "contactless" purchases (per day, per week or per month) or a maximum number of consecutive authorized transactions. When a ceiling is exceeded, you must use another means of payment.

In case of loss or theft of your phone, notify your telephone operator and contact your bank (at the same number as the telephone number)opposition card) in order to block possible fraudulent payments. The mobile payment service will be opposed.

FYI  

As a precaution, as soon as you do not make purchases, you can disable the NFC feature.

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