Transportation Contactless Pay Question for family

You can tap pay on the same credit card if you use separate devices. For example, use an Apple Watch, phone, and the physical card. Three people can then use one credit card. Make sure you all tap out with all these modes.

Thank you! That is good to know. I don’t really want to load my personal credit card on my daughters phone so would I be able to hand her my CC and then load my cc on my phone so I use that?

Sure . But does anyone have an Apple Watch? I hate seeing physical credit cards so exposed. Could you load the credit card on your daughter's phone and then delete it once you're home?

No Apple Watches, and husband is Android. If I can load my credit card to both my daughters phone and my phone then that might be easiest. I appreciate the guidance. We have traveled to Europe before and just bought tickets prior to boarding any transportation so this is a new way for us.

A nice feature of having a credit card on your phone is the ease of replacement if your card is compromised while traveling. The credit card company can send the replacement card straight to your phone.
Wishing you a great trip!

You mentioned past fraud issues with your daughter’s Debit card, but if that card was loaded onto her phone, would there be fewer concerns, then if it was her physical card being used for transportation? If so, you and your husband would have the “main” credit card loaded onto your phones, and she’d have her own account, not yours, on her phone.

Does the bank that’s tied to the Debit card account have any assurances that the fraud situation has been fixed, and that it would now be safe for your daughter’s travels? If the concerns still exist, then having the one, main credit card on all three of your devices sounds like the best option (provided that a phone-in-hand for one of you is preferable to a plastic card-in-hand).

I’ll answer for Belgium.

We don’t have a “tap on/tap off” system for trains. You buy tickets at the ticket window, from a vending machine, on the website, or through the app, and of course you can use the same credit card to purchase tickets for everyone.

For trams, subways, and buses, it depends on which Region you’re visiting.

In the Flemish Region (Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Hasselt), public transportation is operated by De Lijn. Here, you can use the same card to pay for up to 5 people. There’s only a “tap on,” no “tap off.”
https://www.delijn.be/en/content/tickets/contactloos-betalen/

In the Brussels Region (Brussels), public transportation is operated by MIVB/STIB. Here, each person needs their own card. There is only a “tap on,” no “tap off.”
https://www.stib-mivb.be/buy/your-bank-card-is-your-ticket
Of course, you can also go to the ticket window or the ticket machine (Go Vending Machine) https://www.stib-mivb.be/home/buy/sales-outlets

In the Walloon Region, public transportation is operated by TEC. Here, it’s best to use the app. On some routes, you can pay by tapping in, though this option is very limited. Since most tourists don’t travel to Wallonia, I won’t go into further detail here. If you’d like, you can ask a specific question in the Belgium forum.
https://www.letec.be/View/How_to_travel_with_the_TEC__/733

Since you and your husband have different credit cars under the same account, why not call the bank and see if adding your daughter to the account and issuing her a card will have that card with a third different number? I know that is how my CapOne cards work.

Cyn, my apologies for the confusion. My daughter didn’t have fraud issues at all. Her debit is fine and loaded to her phone. My husband and I had credit card fraud so it’s the credit card that was the issue.

Larry, I don’t think my cc company issues extra cards to minors (and tbh I don’t want that either) but I like how you are thinking. :)

At least in Belgium I believe your daughter's debit card will work. And even if you have two cards from the same account you can use them, they just have to be two separate cards.

Someone else recently started a thread about using a Wise card - it's basically just a travel card with an international bank account attached to it, which allows for multiple currencies. You can put as little (or as much) as you like on it so that 'damage' is limited to whatever you have in the account. I have one and have used it to tap on trams and buses in Amsterdam and Brussels recently. It works a treat. And if you lose the card while travelling, if you have the app, you can lock the card, shift money around, and use an electronic version of the card, all on your phone. Revolut works in the same way, but there are many other banks that have a travel money card and if it has a MasterCard or Visa symbol you could probably use that on the trams and buses too.

Amsterdam is tap on and off, Brussels is tap on only.

Lavandula

Thank you, Lavandula! I will look into those options.

I had some initial difficulties with tapping out at Amsterdam so I ended up just buying my daughter and myself tickets on the NS website and used their app. She didn't have a phone for the trip. So I scanned her ticket and she went through then I scanned my ticket and I went through. Maybe more planning needed but it was less anxiety provoking than worrying about the tapping not working.

Actually, buying tickets in advance in the NS app could get you off-peak discount (only for trains).

Thank you everyone! I also appreciate the Belgium advice and suggestions. I have already purchased the international trains on NS, so that is done and I have electronic tickets (and we got youth and non-peak rates). I'm not sure what other trains we will use yet, or the timing so those will have to wait until we are there, but I could always buy on my phone ahead of time if needed. After doing some initial research on the Wise card, it sounds like a great option for all three of us actually. Thank you again!

Just a warning about the Wise card - it's for over 18s only. Our daughter, who is 17, recently went with a touring choir through Europe and we couldn't get her one (although it's so great we will eventually). She banks with Westpac here in Australia, and because of this we were able to get her a Westpac Travel Money card (not sure if that is the right name). In theory she could use that for many of the same purposes, but it costs us a bit more with Westpac. So shop around, there will be a bank / provider somewhere that will have a travel cashcard that suits your daughter.

Lavandula

Ooh, I just found out that Wise Australia has a Young Explorer card for ages 6 - 17, managed by the parents. This would be perfect for you!

Lavandula

Am I missing something? I thought OP is from USA.
Wise Young Explorer Card is not available in USA.
Of no importance but neither available in Europe, except Switzerland and UK.

Yes, we are in the US and unfortunately the Wise Youth card is not available to us. After researching Wise, I can get up to 3 digital cards under my account (they have different card numbers), and they can be loaded with a pre paid amount so I can let my daughter hold one on her device and she can tap on/off. It’s a great option in case we can’t buy tickets ahead of time and she will only use it for public transport with us.