Glossary entry

Contactless payment

Contactless payment means paying by tapping a card or phone on a reader instead of inserting the card. Support varies by terminal, card and country, and some foreign cards can have trouble with certain terminals, so a failed tap does not always mean your card is broken. Ask your issuer before you travel whether your card supports contactless payments abroad and whether you should expect to use a PIN, and test a phone wallet at home before you rely on it. See also: PIN, IC card, and the guide Cash vs Card in Japan.