The contactless card symbol is four curved, radiating lines, similar to a sideways Wi-Fi signal, indicating you can tap to pay. You'll find it on the card itself and on payment terminals, allowing for quick, secure, short-range transactions by holding your card or device near the reader.
Simply look for the wave-like symbol that resembles a Wi-Fi symbol on the front of your card.
What does the WiFi symbol on my card mean? The Wi-Fi-looking symbol on a debit or credit card is the EMVCo Contactless Indicator*.
All contactless cards contain the Wi-Fi symbol either on the front of the card, under the bank name or card type (Visa, Master, etc.), or on the flip side, near the magnetic strip. The contactless symbol is represented by four curved lines, increasing in size as they move from left to right.
To check whether your credit or debit card is contactless, look out for the symbol on the card. It's four lines, curved and increasing in size from left to right, on the front or back of your card. You might notice it's similar to the Wi-Fi symbol.
Visa payWave, Mastercard Contactless, and American Express Expresspay are examples of contactless credit cards which have become widespread in the US and UK.
To determine if your credit card is contactless, look for the contactless symbol on either the front or back of the card. This symbol has four curved lines resembling radio waves. If you're still unsure, you can test it at a contactless payment terminal the next time you make a purchase.
You can check for NFC settings on your Samsung Android device by looking in the settings app > connections > tap NFC and contactless payments. If you see an option for NFC there, your device is enabled to make NFC payments.
You've probably used it without thinking – the quick “tap, beep, done” way to pay. Contactless means you don't need to faff with chip & PIN or cash; your card, phone or smart watch has a tiny chip that securely transmits payment details. Cards: Almost all new UK debit and credit cards are contactless.
Convenience. Make contactless payments by tapping your card at any one of the thousands of contactless terminals around the world – just look out for the contactless symbol, and the Visa Paywave or Mastercard PayPass symbol.
Many more credit cards are contactless than people realize, but if you're unsure about your particular credit card, just look for the contactless symbol on the front of your card. The contactless symbol is reminiscent of the WiFi symbol, with four arched lines fitted next to one another.
If you're sure you don't want to be able to make contactless payments, you have 2 options: you can order a debit or credit card with contactless disabled. Please note that if you add a contactless-disabled card to your digital wallet, you'll still be able to use that to make contactless payments, or.
Cards that have contactless capabilities will have the word "contactless" and may also have a contactless symbol on the card. If a merchant doesn't have this capability, you'll need to insert your chip card into the terminal.
NFC (Near Field Communication) mobile payments are a form of contactless payment method where a mobile wallet or an enabled credit or debit card wirelessly communicates with a payment terminal to send encrypted payment information from the customer to the retailer.
Look at your card
The four curved lines on the front-right of your card, which looks like the Wi-Fi symbol turned on its side, indicate that you can tap to pay anywhere you see the contactless symbol.
The 2/3/4 rule is a guideline, primarily used by Bank of America, that limits how many new credit cards you can get: no more than 2 in 30 days, 3 in 12 months, and 4 in 24 months, helping to prevent over-application and manage hard inquiries on your credit report. While not universal, it's a useful benchmark for responsible card application, though other banks have different rules (like Chase's 5/24 rule).
If you don't touch in or out at the start and end of your journey, you may be charged a penalty fare or may be prosecuted.
Presence of Wifi symbol on your Axis Bank card and on the machine at the shop means that your card is a Contactless card and the machine is enabled for contactless transactions.
Potential security concerns
Because contactless payments require neither PIN nor signature authorisation, lost or stolen contactless cards can be used to make fraudulent transactions.
Google Pay
Google Pay remains one of the most widely adopted wallets, supporting NFC tap-to-pay, UPI (India), and global payments. Its deep integration with Android phones makes it a favorite for billions.
Contactless payments are very popular in the US, with over 50% of Americans using them. This includes both cards and mobile wallets.
To check if your phone has NFC, go to Settings > Connections or Wireless & Networks and look for “NFC” or “Near Field Communication.” You can also search "NFC" in the settings search bar.