Take it easy with American Express® contactless

Contactless works by using short range wireless technology, so the Point of Sale terminal will pick up a signal from your Card when it’s very close to it. You can use your Card for payments. 

Currently, most American Express products have contactless technology. To see if your Card has the contactless capability, look for the contactless symbol on the back or front of your Card. 

We have been migrating our Card products to contactless Cards. If your product is due to change, your next renewal Card or replacement Card will have this feature. Not all of our products will be available with contactless technology.

Yes, it is very secure. American Express issued contactless Cards use the same secure encryption technology as any other American Express Chip and PIN Card. For a payment to be accepted, a merchant must enter the amount at the Point of Sale terminal and you will need to tap your contactless Card to complete the payment.

We do not recommend touching your wallet or purse against the Point of Sale terminal if you have more than one Card in it that is contactless. You should only present the Card you wish to pay with to the Point of Sale terminal. It is therefore suggested that if your wallet or purse contains more than one contactless Card, you remove the contactless Card you wish to use and touch it against the Point of Sale terminal.

Your contactless Card is also a Chip and PIN Card. It can be used for Chip and PIN only payments if you wish. You decide how you use your Card to pay for goods and services so simply advise the merchant you wish to pay by Chip and PIN.

When you first use your new contactless Card you may be asked to enter your PIN to initialize the contactless facility.

Not all merchants accept contactless payments. Check that the Point of Sale terminal is enabled for American Express contactless payments. If the Point of Sale terminal is enabled for American Express contactless payments, call the number on the back of your Card and we will arrange a replacement Card for you. You can use your Card with your PIN in the meantime.

You can use your contactless Card abroad in most places that you see the contactless acceptance symbol and the American Express logo. The transaction limit for American Express contactless payments vary according to each country’s terminal standard, as such your experience may differ by country.  If you are unable to perform a contactless transaction you will still be able to perform either a Chip & PIN or Magnetic stripe payment.

Yes, your contactless payments are eligible for rewards like your normal Chip and PIN payments. I used my Card for a contactless transaction today but can’t see the charge when I view my account online. All payments, including contactless payments, take up to 48 hours to be submitted and processed.

Contactless payments are designed to let you make low value payments quickly and conveniently. If you would like a receipt to confirm the contactless transaction just ask the merchant when you pay. Please note that this may not be directly available in all circumstances. 

American Express provides protection for all our customers through our Fraud Protection Guarantee .