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Deciding between an online and a traditional bank? First, let it be known that no two people’s banking styles are exactly the same. For every person who loves popping into their local branch and chatting with their favorite teller, there’s someone else who avoids bank branches at all costs, preferring to seamlessly swipe their way through financial transactions on their mobile phone.

Traditional vs. online banks also have other important distinctions, including the dollars-and-cents bottom line. Their typical fees charged and interest rates paid differ as well.

So how can you decide which kind of financial institution best suits your needs? Read on to get the intel you need, including:

•   The differences between traditional and online banking

•   How online banking vs. traditional banking works

•   The advantages of online banking

•   How to open an online bank account

Differences Between Online and Traditional Banking

Online and traditional banking both typically offer reliable ways to manage your money, but they do differ considerably in several ways. First, a little lesson in what they are:

•   Traditional banks are ones that have branches you can visit, have ATMs, and often have a website and app for conducting some business digitally. They tend to charge account fees and offer interest rates that may be lower than online banks.

•   Online banks offer many (most, even) of the same services as traditional banks, but they don’t have a footprint in the physical world. You won’t be able to visit a branch or use their branded ATMs (though they may partner with an ATM network or refund your fees). The lack of branches usually allows them to charge lower or no fees and pay depositors a higher interest rate.

Now, here’s a closer look at some key points of differentiation:

Security

If you keep your money at a traditional bank and visit a branch, you likely feel reassured by the presence of security guards and perhaps a glimpse of a massive vault inside. You might wonder if online banking is as secure as a bricks-and-mortar bank. If you use a strong password and avoid conducting online banking with a public WiFi connection or on a public computer, you are following good advice for keeping your account safe. While there are no 100% guarantees, your money should be well protected.

What’s more, both online and traditional banks abide by the same federal regulations. This means that if your financial institution is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, you are covered in the event of a bank failure up to $250,000 per depositor, per account type. Want to be sure of that safety net? You can use the FDIC BankFind to make sure your online bank is FDIC-insured.

Bank Fees and Interest Rates

As briefly noted above, online banks typically save big on real estate and staffing costs and pass that along to their customers. Many charge no or low fees. Which may be a very big deal: According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Americans pay more than $15 billion a year on bank overdraft fees, which are usually $30 to $35 a pop.

Online banks also likely offer higher interest rates on saving accounts and may offer interest on checking, too. For instance, at press time, SoFi was offering 1.80% APY on savings, while Chase offered 0.01%. That’s quite a noticeable gap. So if you don’t use traditional banking services, you can probably save money and earn more interest with online banking.

24/7 Banking

A few years ago, online banks tended to have the advantage here, providing services around the clock. Traditional banks, which may only be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, have been working hard to close the gap and offer services (from check deposits to money transfers) via their website or app at all hours.

Still, online banks may have the edge in terms of 24/7 support, since they have offered this kind of service from the get-go. Making mobile deposits or switching up your password at 2 a.m. is no problem for them, and if you hit a speed-bump, you can likely chat or phone your way to help.

ATMs

If you’re an account holder at a large traditional bank, you’ll probably have a good number of conveniently located ATMs that you can access without a fee. However, those who bank at a smaller, local or regional institution may have fewer options. They may have to make a special trip to get to their bank’s ATM or otherwise pay an out-of-network fee.

How about online banking and ATMs? Digital banks don’t have branches, so how can they have cash machines, you might wonder. The answer is: They don’t. Instead, they usually have work-arounds in this situation. Most online banks partner with a large cash-machine network that you can use for free for withdrawals or for depositing cash at an ATM. Or they may have an arrangement that refunds you for any bank fees you incur using an ATM. Online banks tend to work hard to level the playing field on this front.

How Online Banking Works

If you’ve been used to traditional banking, online banking may seem like a brave new world, and a somewhat intimidating one at that. In truth, however, online banking closely mirrors what happens at a bricks-and-mortar bank, minus the bricks-and-mortar and those free lollipops.

For example, you can open checking and savings accounts, get a debit card, sign up for automatic bill pay, transfer funds, and more. The one challenge can be withdrawing or depositing cash; there’s no teller service, but you may be able to manage cash at a linked ATM (as mentioned above). You may find that the pros of mobile banking and online transactions make up for this inconvenience.

If you typically go into a branch for certain services, such as wire transfers, you’ll likely find you can do them online with a digital bank. And the fact that you can do them on a website or app means the bank isn’t paying the overhead of having a bricks-and-mortar location. So you are probably earning more interest and avoid account management fees than if you kept your money at a traditional bank.

Recommended: How Many Bank Accounts Should I Have?

Advantages of Online Banking Over Traditional Banking

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of how online vs. traditional banking compares.

Feature	Online Banking	Traditional Banking
Interest rates	Typically have considerably higher interest rates since they can pass along their savings on overhead to the customer	Tend to have lower APYs (annual percentage yields) as they need to cover the costs of their branches and staffing
Bank fees	Usually offer no fees or lower fees than traditional banks	Often assess monthly account fees, minimum balance fees, overdraft charges, and more
ATMs	Probably lack branded ATMs but likely partner with a network for fee-free transactions	Typically have a network of their own ATMs, which may or may not be conveniently located
Customer Service	Usually offered 24/7 via chat or phone	Usually offered in person during business hours and by chat or phone 24/7
Security	High-level online security and fraud protection	High-level online security and fraud protection at large chains

How to Know if Online Banking Is Right for You

Whether you choose to bank online or with a traditional financial institution is a very personal decision. Here are a few of the most important signs that online banks will be a good fit:

•   You prioritize high interest rates and low fees to help your money grow faster.

•   You are comfortable accessing a partner network of ATMs vs. a bank’s own branded machines.

•   You are satisfied with seeking customer service via chat or phone.

•   You are confident managing your money without having a personal banker at your local branch.

•   You are digitally savvy enough to conduct transactions online; you also know not to use public WiFi or computers for banking business or else you’ll risk bank account fraud.

Opening an Online Bank Account

With online banking, you don’t have to wait until Monday morning to open a new account. You can just log on from your couch on a Sunday afternoon to start a new account and otherwise manage your money.

Technology is allowing financial companies to change the entire banking experience and improve it for customers. One of these new ways is by opening an online bank account with SoFi. With our Checking and Savings, you’ll earn an amazing APY and pay no account fees.

Better banking is here with up to 4.60% APY on SoFi Checking and Savings.

FAQ

How does online banking work?

Online banking allows you to manage your money without going into a bricks-and-mortar branch. Using the bank’s website and/or app, you can spend, save, transfer funds, and conduct other business.

What are the advantages of online banking over traditional banking?

Online banking can offer several advantages: Some people prefer using a website or app vs. going into a bank branch as often happens with traditional banking. What’s more, online banking usually offers lower fees (or none whatsoever) and higher interest rates than bricks-and-mortar banks.

What is a disadvantage of online banking?

Online banking doesn’t offer the opportunity to build a personal relationship with your banking team. Also, depositing cash can be a challenge.

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SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2023 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.60% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a deposit to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate.

SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant.

SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.60% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.

SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.

Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.

Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet..

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

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Sinking funds are tools that people or businesses can use to set aside money for a planned expense. For instance, you may know that you want to take a vacation next year, so you may start putting cash in an envelope in order to save up for that vacation — that, in effect, is a sinking fund. Sinking fund categories, as such, depend on the expenses relevant to each individual. They can include auto repairs, health care costs, gifts, insurance payments, vacation funds, and more.

You can think of sinking funds as a way of “sinking” your money into an account for later use. It’s basically a savings strategy. We’ll get into it more below.

General Definition of Sinking Funds

The term “sinking fund” has its roots in the world of corporate finance, but mostly refers to the way that an individual would utilize them — for setting aside money or income for a future expense.

Sinking funds are smaller offshoots of an overall budget. Putting together a sinking fund entails stashing money in reserve for the future, knowing what that money will eventually be spent on.

For instance, some people like to pay their car insurance in six-month installments. They may sock money away each month in anticipation of the next six-month installment payment, so that they’re not hit with a big expense all at once.

Their car insurance sinking fund contains the money they need, so they don’t have to scramble to cover the cost every six months.

Examples of Sinking Funds Categories

When it comes to sinking funds categories, there are no hard and fast rules. Different individuals have different financial needs and planned expenditures. As such, their sinking funds categories are going to vary. That said, some common sinking fund categories are applicable to most individuals. Here are some examples:

•   Vacations

•   Gifts and holiday-related expenses

•   A new vehicle, or regular maintenance and insurance costs

•   A home purchase, or home maintenance expense

•   Medical and dental costs

•   Childcare costs

•   Tuition expenses

•   Pet expenses, such as veterinarian visits

A sinking fund can be helpful in saving for just about anything.

Recommended: How to Set Your Financial Goals

Sinking Fund Category Calculations

Setting up a sinking fund is easy enough: You can stuff cash under your mattress or use a brokerage account as a savings vehicle. The difficulty for most of us comes in regularly contributing to it. But the trickiest part may be figuring out how much you should be contributing.

A budget planner app can come in handy, as you’ll be able to see how much money you have to dole out to your sinking fund categories after your monthly expenses have been taken care of. Similarly, if you stick to a certain budget type — such as the 50-30-20 rule — that may help determine what you can contribute.

To calculate how much you can contribute to a sinking fund, first you’ll need to decide which sinking funds are the most important. Another consideration is which fund will need to be utilized first – perhaps you have an auto insurance payment coming up before a vacation. Priorities and timing both affect your sinking fund calculations.

In corporate finance, there is an actual sinking fund formula that helps a company figure out how much it needs to put away to pay off a long-term debt in a lump-sum, while paying minimum amounts in the meantime. This can apply to individuals, too.

The formula looks at the amount of money already accumulated, multiplies it by any applicable interest, then divides it by the time period remaining on the loan. Using this calculation can tell you the monthly amount needed to be contributed to a sinking fund to reach a debt-payoff goal.

For individuals, however, it can be as simple as looking at your monthly income and dividing extra cash accordingly into your sinking fund categories.

Types of Sinking Funds

How do you save up a sinking fund? There are a few savings vehicles you can utilize.

The most obvious, and probably the simplest, is to keep the sinking fund in cash, and store it somewhere safe. Of course, that money won’t be earning any interest, and will likely lose value on an annual basis due to inflation, but it’s one way to do it.

Perhaps the best and safest option is to open up individual savings accounts at your financial institution for each of your sinking fund categories. This beats cash because your sinking fund is protected (and insured up to $250,000 by the FDIC), and you will earn a little interest on it, too.

You can also invest your sinking fund. Just know that there are risks involved with that. Your investments could lose value, for one, and your savings could end up being worth less than when you initially invested them. There is likely to be fees involved too. Consider speaking to a financial professional before investing money you will need for a planned expense.

Recommended: Money Market Account vs Savings Account

Best Time to Take Advantage of Sinking Funds Categories

Sinking funds are all about using time to your advantage, by saving up for a planned or known expense well ahead of time. As such, the best time to take advantage of them is when that expense finally does arrive, be it a pricey vacation, a new car, or sending a child to college.

There may be times or periods during the year when it’s more advantageous to save than others. For instance, most people experience a financial crunch during the holiday season — there are gifts to buy, parties to attend, and other demands on your income. So that may not be the best time to “sink” money into a fund.

Instead, think about when you may have some extra money: When you get a tax refund, or receive a cash gift for your birthday. Those are the times when you may want to add something to your sinking funds.

The Takeaway

Sinking funds are designated cash reserves for future expenses. Using a sinking fund means that you’re stashing money away for an upcoming, known expense, and relieving some of the financial pressure of that expense ahead of time. Sinking fund categories can vary, depending on your individual situation. Corporations and businesses also use sinking funds.

Sinking funds are a way to get ahead of your planned expenses, and give yourself some financial wiggle room. A money tracker app can do the same, like the one included in SoFi.

SoFi tracks all of your money, all in one place.

Check out SoFi today!

FAQ

What to put in sinking funds?

You’ll put cash in a sinking fund — cash to use on an upcoming expense at a later time. What that expense is (i.e., a sinking fund’s category) will vary depending on your specific financial needs.

What is a sinking fund leasehold?

A sinking fund leasehold contains funds for repairs or renovations to a rental property. The leaseholder or landlord sets aside a small percentage of the rental money collected every month to build up the fund.

What is the difference between a reserve fund and a sinking fund?

The two are more or less the same. The big difference is that a sinking fund’s contents are designated for a specific purpose or expense, whereas a reserve fund contains funds used for general future expenses.

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Photo credit: iStock/Delmaine Donson

SoFi Relay offers users the ability to connect both SoFi accounts and external accounts using Plaid, Inc.’s service. When you use the service to connect an account, you authorize SoFi to obtain account information from any external accounts as set forth in SoFi’s Terms of Use. Based on your consent SoFi will also automatically provide some financial data received from the credit bureau for your visibility, without the need of you connecting additional accounts. SoFi assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, accuracy, deletion, non-delivery or failure to store any user data, loss of user data, communications, or personalization settings. You shall confirm the accuracy of Plaid data through sources independent of SoFi. The credit score is a VantageScore® based on TransUnion® (the “Processing Agent”) data.

*Terms and conditions apply. (Must click on the link to be eligible.) This offer is only available to new SoFi users without existing SoFi accounts. It is non-transferable. One offer per person. To receive the Rewards points offer, you must successfully complete setting up Credit Score Monitoring. Rewards points may only be redeemed into SoFi accounts such as cash in SoFi Checking and Savings, SoFi credit cards or loan balances, and fractional shares subject to program terms that may be found here: SoFi Member Rewards Terms and Conditions. SoFi reserves the right to modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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Amid health and safety concerns during the coronavirus pandemic, the popularity of contactless credit cards soared. This method of payment allows you to use your credit card for a purchase by simply tapping or holding it on the card reader, as opposed to inserting or swiping it.

While you may or may not already be familiar with how to use contactless credit cards, you may be wondering, how do contactless cards work? Here’s a look at the tech that enables contactless credit card payments, as well as the pros and cons and overall safety of using contactless credit cards.

What Is a Contactless Credit Card?

Physically, a contactless credit card looks like a regular credit card, with the bank name and the account number on the front of the card and the ubiquitous magnetic stripe on the back of the card. However, contactless credit cards allow cardholders to “tap and pay” instead of inserting or swiping their card in a merchant payment machine.

This enables a consumer to make a purchase at a retail location without ever having to physically touch a payment device, which is why contactless payments increased during the pandemic.

What Does Contactless Payment Mean?

The term contactless payment more broadly refers to a form of payment that involves no touch. You can make a contactless payment using a credit card as well as a debit card, gift card, mobile wallet, or wearable device.

Regardless of the form, contactless payments rely on the same technology to make a payment without needing to swipe, enter a debit or credit card PIN, or sign for a transaction.

How to Know If Your Credit Card Is Contactless

Major credit card providers like MasterCard and Visa offer contactless cards. You can determine if your credit card is contactless-capable by looking for a contactless card symbol on the back of your card. This symbol looks like a WiFi symbol flipped on its side, with four curved lines that increase in length from left to right.

Even if your card has this symbol on it, you’ll also want to check that the merchant has contactless readers. You can figure this out by looking for that same symbol on the card reader or asking the merchant directly.

How Contactless Credit Cards Work

Like other credit cards, contactless credit cards have small chips embedded in them. But instead of requiring you to insert the card, this chip emits electromagnetic waves that transfer your payment information when you place the card close to a payment terminal that accepts contactless payments.

You don’t actually even need to tap your contactless credit card to pay — all you have to do is place your card within a few inches of the payment terminal. This will initiate payment.

You might then have to wait a few seconds while the transaction processes. The terminal will usually give a signal when the transaction is complete, such as by beeping or flashing a green light.

Technology That Enables Contactless Credit Card Payments

Instead of inserting a credit or debit card into a merchant payment terminal, contactless credit cards rely on radio frequency identification technology (RFID) and near-field communication to complete a retail transaction.

The “no touch” concept is driven by a contactless card’s short-range electromagnetic waves, which hold the cardholder’s personal data, including their credit card account number. This information is then transmitted to the merchant’s payment device. Once the device grabs the airborne card information, the transaction can be completed and the purchase confirmed.

Pros and Cons of Contactless Credit Cards

Like most consumer finance tools, contactless credit cards have their upsides and downsides. Here’s a snapshot of the pros and cons to note:

Pros	Cons
Convenient to use	Not always available overseas
Secure	Low transaction limits
Increasingly offered	Not always reliable
Better for merchants

Pros

These are the main upsides of contactless credit cards:

•   Convenient to use: Contactless credit cards are extremely convenient to use once you get the hang of how credit cards work when they have this feature. All a user has to do is wave their contactless credit card in front of the card reader, and the deal is done in a matter of seconds. Plus, you can avoid touching any surfaces in the process.

•   Secure: With data thieves regularly on the prowl, “tap and pay” and “wave and pay” technologies are highly protective of a consumer’s personal data. All of the data is stored on a password-protected, fully-encrypted computer chip embedded inside the card, making it difficult for a financial fraudster to steal a user’s personal information.

•   Increasingly offered: The availability of contactless payments has increased in recent years, and many brand-name companies now offer the option. Companies may even offer discounts and loyalty point details that are immediately added to a consumer’s account at the point of sale.

•   Better for merchants: Companies that offer contactless credit/debit card payments also benefit from “no touch” card technology. Aside from superior operational capability and faster transactions, merchants get a better customer experience and formidable fraud protection from contactless payment technology, with no extra cost. That’s because merchants pay the same transaction processing fee with contactless payments as they do with regular credit card transactions.

Recommended: Tips for Using a Credit Card Responsibly

Cons

Of course, there are downsides to contactless credit cards as well:

•   Not always available overseas: Contactless payments may not work abroad, given the recent expansion of a new card payment technology. Additionally, consumers may be charged foreign transaction fees when they do use contactless payments overseas, depending on the specific country’s credit card payment laws.

•   Low transaction limits: Contactless card users may find they can’t cover large transactions, like a laptop computer or king-size bed. That’s because merchants may issue those limits until they’re convinced contactless payments (like any new technology) are completely safe, secure and free of any fraud threats. In the meantime, contactless card-using consumers can always use the same credit card to make a big purchase by using “chip and sign” or “chip and swipe” card technologies.

•   Not always reliable: Contactless credit card transactions aren’t always reliable, as sometimes the payment won’t go through even though a reader indicates that it accepts contactless payments. This could cause someone to have to resort to swiping their card instead to complete the transaction.

Recommended: What is a Charge Card

Guide to Using a Contactless Credit Card

When using a contactless credit card, the transaction is enabled and completed in three key steps: look, tap, and go.

1.    Look. The consumer checks for a contactless symbol on a merchant’s payment device (this will look like a WiFi signal tipped on its side).

2.    Tap. After being prompted by the payment device, the consumer will wave the credit card an inch or so over the payment device, or actually touch (tap) the credit card on the payment terminal. This is why the process is sometimes referred to as credit card tap to pay.

3.    Go. Once the wave or tap is executed, the payment device picks up the transaction, confirms the credit card payment, and completes the transaction.

Be mindful that if you carry multiple contactless credit cards, you may want to keep those cards away from a terminal that accepts contactless payments. This will help ensure the correct credit card is being charged. Instead of holding your wallet or purse over the payment terminal, take out the specific card you’d like to use instead.

Recommended: When Are Credit Card Payments Due

Are Contactless Credit Cards Safe?

Contactless payment cards basically offer the same anti-fraud protections as any card that relies on a credit card chip.

This is because the chip in contactless credit cards creates a one-time code for each merchant transaction. Once the payment is confirmed and the transaction is approved, the code disappears for good. That makes it virtually impossible for a financial fraudster to steal a consumer’s personal data, as they can’t crack the complicated algorithmic codes financial institutions use with chip-based payment cards.

Additionally, a contactless card is equipped with electromagnetic (RFID) shielding, which helps keep card information from being “skimmed” by data thieves. In turn, this removes another data security threat from the credit card transaction experience.

Recommended: Can You Buy Crypto With a Credit Card

The Takeaway

Contactless credit cards are emerging as an effective payment technology that’s gathering steam among consumers and retailers alike. Thanks to the tech that enables contactless credit card payment, these credit cards allow you to simply wave or tap the credit card within range of a payment terminal that accepts contactless payments. You can figure out if a payment terminal — and your credit card — offer contactless payment as an option by looking for the contactless payment symbol.

If this is a feature that interests you, it might be worth looking out for when picking a credit card that works for you.

The SoFi Credit Card offers unlimited 2% cash back on all eligible purchases. There are no spending categories or reward caps to worry about.¹

Take advantage of this offer by applying for a SoFi credit card today.

FAQ

Are there extra charges for using contactless credit cards?

No, there are no extra charges for using contactless credit cards. This is true for the consumer who’s tapping their card as well as for the merchant accepting contactless payments.

What are the risks with contactless credit cards?

While contactless credit cards generally offer enhanced security, there is the risk of a thief skimming cards in your wallet by using a smartphone to read it. However, the thief must be within very close range to do so. Perhaps the easiest way for a thief to get ahold of your information is by stealing your physical credit card, which is a risk with any type of credit card.

Where can I use my contactless credit card?

You can use your credit card at any retailer that has a terminal accepting contactless payments. You can determine if a card reader will take your contactless credit card by looking for the contactless payment symbol.

What happens if I lose my contactless credit card and someone else uses it?

If your card is stolen or lost, contact your credit card issuer immediately. Check your recent credit card transactions for any fraudulent activity, and make sure to report that information to your credit card issuer.

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Photo credit: iStock/milan2099

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

The SoFi Credit Card is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A. pursuant to license by Mastercard® International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

¹See Rewards Details at SoFi.com/card/rewards.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

¹Members earn 2 rewards points for every dollar spent on purchases. No points will be earned with respect to reversed transactions, returned purchases, or other similar transactions. When you elect to redeem rewards points as cash deposited into your SoFi Checking and Savings account, as a statement credit to a SoFi Credit Card account, as fractional shares into your SoFi Invest account, or as a payment toward your SoFi Personal Loan or Student Loan Refinance, your rewards points will redeem at a rate of 1 cent per point. For more details please visit the Rewards page. Brokerage and Active investing products offered through SoFi Securities LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. SoFi Securities LLC is an affiliate of SoFi Bank, N.A.

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