Many consumers may be used to handing their bank card to a shop or restaurant employee when it is time to pay. However, Banco de Portugal does not recommend this practice and advises customers to keep the card in their possession throughout face-to-face transactions.

As reported by the central bank, merchants should set up payment terminals so customers can insert their own cards and enter their PINs privately.

Therefore, staff should avoid asking customers to hand over their cards so that they can complete the payment themselves.

This guidance is part of a series of security measures aimed at reducing the risk of card misuse.

A bank card is a personal, non-transferable payment instrument, meaning only its holder should use it.

PIN privacy

This same principle applies when a payment requires a PIN rather than using contactless technology.

The customer should be able to insert the card into the terminal and enter the PIN without unnecessarily exposing the information to others, and payment terminals should be positioned to provide sufficient privacy, while surveillance cameras should be placed so they cannot capture the PIN being entered.

Furthermore, the responsibility does not fall entirely on customers.

Merchants should keep payment terminals, cables, and other equipment in good condition and under staff supervision, as well as look out for signs that a terminal may have been tampered with.

Customer identity

Keeping the card in the customer’s hands does not prevent a merchant from carrying out certain checks.

If the merchant doubts whether the person using a card is authorised, they may ask to see an identification document with a photograph, separate from taking possession of the card to insert it into the payment terminal.

Moreover, merchants are also expected to check the information displayed on terminals and report suspected fraudulent card use to the relevant payment service provider.

Extra charges

The guidance also covers additional fees, as merchants should not charge customers simply because they choose to pay by card.

If a transaction needs to be refunded, it should also be made to the card used for the original payment.

This recommendation gives cardholders greater control over their payment details and reduces unnecessary opportunities for their card or PIN to be exposed.

Set The Portugal News as your preferred source for news on Google

GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google