Contactless Cards

All new Avidia Bank Mastercard debit and credit cards are now contactless. What does this mean? Check out the FAQs below and feel free to contact us at 800-508-2265 if you need additional information.

What does “contactless” mean?
When you see the “contactless” symbol on any card terminal at checkout, simply touch your card against the symbol until the light turns green. A beep will indicate that the payment was successful.

Is this available everywhere?
Not all merchants currently have the contactless capability, but you can use this functionality when it is available.

Will I be receiving a new card?
We will NOT be reissuing new debit or credit cards. When your current card expires it will be replaced with a new contactless card. If you lose your current card and you need to order another one, that too will be replaced with a contactless card.

How secure are contactless cards?
Contactless cards have the same protection as an EMV chip card payment. Transactions are cryptographically secure and generate unique code for each transaction. Issuers can automatically detect and reject any attempt to use the same transaction information more than once.

Are contactless cards vulnerable to skimming?
The risk for skimming is very low. A thief would need a genuine acquirer approved point of sale device to read the card. Long-range skimmers will not work as you need to be within one to two inches of the card to connect. Short-range skimmers will not work either as the information accessible through the contactless interface is limited only to a contactless-based payment transaction.