The presence of contactless cards

The presence of contactless cards has become very evident now with it being used everywhere. They are quite different from the other kind of cards used for financial transactions, as the information here is read from the card reader.  Other cards store the data on a magnetic stripe that needs to be physically swiped with the use of a card reader, or on microchip that needs to be put inside a chip and a pin device. On the other hand, contactless cards like Mifare 1K card stores all the information on a microchip that is fixed in the plastic of the card. The chip is fixed along with a radio antenna, which transmits the data of the card to the card reader without any form of physical contact. A radio frequency identification technology also known as RFID technology diverts the information to the RFID card reader, when the card holder signals the tool from a short distance of the receiver. Where are these cards accepted?Till some time ago, they were only accepted at some stores like the gas stations, movie theatres, and some fast food restaurants. But, the main motive behind using these tools was to convince the consumers in using plastic efficiently at those places that were earlier dominated by cash. This would ensure that the transactions will get speedier and there won’t be the need to carry cash wherever you go. A simple plastic tool can do the magic. There has been a rise in the merchants accepting this form of payment and this trend is about to gain more momentum in the future. Are they safe to use?With these contactless cards like Mifare 1K card, you won’t require any kind of PIN number to get the transaction. This is what makes the customers slightly uncomfortable in using them. But they are only capable of making payments of $ 10 only. So, even if someone succeeds in stealing your card, the loss is minimal. In addition to that, if you report the loss of the card with the bank at the earliest, you won’t have to bother about any fraudulent activity. On some cases, you will be asked to confirm being the card holder so as to ensure you still possess the card or not.They are now being used in several universities where it is being used as a means of providing identification of the student with all the personal information and photograph.