Safety for cashless payment in Europe

What do you do with cards and phones when out at home? Do the same in Europe.

I live in the U.K. and have travelled to many parts of Europe and I have never used a money belt other than when in Africa, South America and Asia. I have never had wallet, cards or phone stolen. I wear a cross body bag or when at home, just keep my hand on the top of the bag when walking.

You need to be wary when taking the Paris Metro as pickpocketing is rife supposedly, but I have travelled the London Underground system most days for 30 years without incident.

Don’t wave your phone around, have it sticking out of a pocket or put it on a table in a cafe. Same with your wallet and cards.

About the only thing I do different is I leave everything in the room except for one credit card and my passport. I use a money clip to hold the one credit card and any paper money and shove it in my front pocket. Same with the phone. Sitting with a phone in my pocket is sort of uncomfortable so at restaurants i put it on the corner of the table (no, not really ..... well, yes, sometimes).

I just keep my card in my wallet, like I do at home. There's no greater risk of having it stolen while traveling than at home. I do keep a spare card in my room safe just in case, but that's it.

And I keep my phone in my pocket. The advantage of card is that, if lost or stolen, it can be quickly frozen. It is a good idea, in my opinion, to have a spare card attached to a separate account in case you do need to cancel your card, or if (as is the case on my current trip) your card is damaged and cannot be used.

I have never entered a PIN when using a US credit card in Europe or at home. On the very rare occasions when a PIN was requested, I didn't have one to enter. One of those transactions did fail (purchase of a tram ticket from a machine in Poland); the few others went through fine. I must have used my tap card at least 100 times by now in six different European countries, with no sign of a problem from the issuer because of never entering a PIN. I suspect you've been given incorrect information if you have a US card, but I can't say for sure that your card issuer isn't doing something strange.

I keep my extra cards locked in my suitcase in my hotel room. On hotel-change days I use a money belt. My everyday-use card is in my cross-body bag. If I don't expect to need it for most of the day, I try to remember to put it in an internal zippered pocket inside the purse (so it's behind two zippers). However, it's in my wallet most of the time. Having it somewhere else is increasingly inconvenient as more and more places expect you to pay by credit card. On the bright side, that means I have very little cash in my wallet.

I have a long history of leaving cards behind me, so I now travel with three credit cards and two ATM cards. All have no transaction fees.

1. The information about first use must be specific to your card. I do not have to do this - UNLESS I am in one country and using it online to make a purchase in another country (Citibank). And not always even then. If you have time, I would get a card that is more designed for international use - either you can notify them if international plans so it will work OR it doesn’t require notification.
2. How I manage my card depends on where I am. No one simple answer every time. I am in Scotland and keep it in the pocket of my pants because I tap for almost everything. My biggest worry is having it fall out. 🤣 In other places, I may put it away carefully after each use. I have a small crossbody purse that is easy to carry and gives me 2 free hands if I need them - or I can hold it (or have it under my coat) if I am in a place that may require more caution.

Thank you all for the thoughtful responses.

@jennifer+@TexasTravelmom: I’ll take a cross body lug-type bag for my water bottle and phone. I’ve been using it lately, it’s comfortable, hands free like you said, and feels safe enough… plus you can also carry it around your waist.

One more thing to mention, RFID cards. When used with your CC, they prevent fraudulent taps by someone standing next to you with the right equipment.
@James, I hear some money clips come with RFID protection.

@acraven: interesting idea of alternating money belt with leaving cards in the room on non-cleaning days. I’ll give it a try.

@Simon: agree with spare cards. Long life to plan B 😃
Happy travels everyone!

My new wallet came with an RFID liner to protect the cards. I also have RFID security envelopes on each card when traveling. Only once, many years ago, did I ever need to enter a PIN. Contactless worked fine on both my trips this year.

I notify my bank of the country I am going to, and the duration of the trip. Also within the USA.

Never had a problem in Europe to date.

my bank advised the first card transaction should be with PIN instead of tap

I got a new credit card recently and that's what the issuer said to me. Listen to your bank.

No, Periscope is correct. It is mostly an urban legend that has been around for sometime that your credit card can be skimmed by someone standing next to you. Continues to be mostly a marketing ploy to sell RFID protection devices. If you are concerned, wrap your billfold in AL foil. Much cheaper.