It won’t be long now until contactless credit and debit cards will be accepted for payment on the London underground (within 6 weeks according to the press). Despite the claims of security the primary reasons for the use of this type of card, is a reduction in queues at the ticket machines and payment kiosks, as well as an overall reduction in operating costs. From a passenger processing point of view speed of movement is of paramount importance and anyone who has travelled the tube will understand the need to move quickly through the gates and what happens when gates get blocked, as such and on the face of things, this really does look like an advantageous system.

However, over the past few months there have been numerous reports of accidental scanning of contactless cards at many retail outlets including Marks and Spencer.

Having held meetings with industry insiders, our understanding of the challenges faced are as follows: If a passenger uses one card on entry to the system and then mistakenly reads a different card on exit this will result in two maximum fares.

As it stands, we don’t know, nor as far as we are aware has it been publicly announced as to what failsafe mechanisms will be implemented by TFL to avoid such situations.

So, how does this present an opportunity for promotional merchandise? Firstly, think about the number of underground users on a daily, weekly even monthly basis, all adding up to over a Billion journeys a year.

With over 30 Million contactless cards already issued in the UK there is the expectation of a massive increase in the use of contactless payments throughout 2014 and beyond. This number alone makes for a great opportunity.
Many people have expressed concern about the security of contactless cards and organisations such as The University of Surrey have run projects to probe the security of contactless bank cards and conclude that attacks are possible.

Purple club members can see more details in their welcome pack.

Your purple club membership card is also a “contactless card shield”, VoyagerBlue can be produced as a promotional gift, Membership card, loyalty card, including magstripe and more.

VoyagerBlue is manufactured here in the UK and their patented contactless credit card shield, resembling a credit card, fits in the wallet or purse and blocks any unwanted scanning of the card, thereby preventing accidental payments and possible fraudulent attempts to obtain money or identity data. The shields have a lifetime as long as, or longer than a credit card and can be printed both sides with any corporate message, offering a unique opportunity to exploit a new “front of wallet” advertising position within a customers wallet or purse. Most people use their card on a daily basis so they will see the message frequently, being reminded it is performing a remarkable security function. So as a promotional item or corporate gift you get high visibility, frequent use, and a really useful function all for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Talk to us now to discuss how the VoyagerBlue range can help you win new business. As well as our patented credit card and passport shielding products we are about to launch exciting new products such as WalletTag which provides an alert via your mobile phone should you be separated from your wallet or purse. It can even pinpoint on a map where you left it. This great new product and more will be coming soon. Contact ian@voyagerblue.co.uk for more details. 0161 818 8895

Published on: March 23rd, 2011