In message , at 12:30:00 on Sun, 27
Feb 2011, Paul Terry remarked:
Pay wave can only be used for a purchase of up to £15 (only recently
increased from £10), so it's not really suitable for purchasing
multiple tickets.

I wonder if the same restrictions would apply to this ticketing
scenario? I get the impression it's a brand new scheme with
potentially brand new rules.

The limit is there because of the insecurity of contactless bank cards.
Lose the card and anyone can use it, typically for five transactions
before being asked to present a PIN (There's no real-time processing of
contactless payments, so even when a lost card is reported, it can't be
stopped immediately like a chip-and-pin card).

If that happens, the banks generally pick up the tab, so they would be
very loathe to increase their exposure to risk by upping the limit
(especially since TfL have already negotiated that a PIN will never be
requested at busy stations).

I don't agree. For all we know the risk is being borne by TfL, it's not
as if the customers are buying things with a tangible cost-of-sales
(like a packet of cigarettes). It seems from other reports that TfL will
be blacklisting cards within 4hrs, which indicates to me it's a special
scheme where TfL are indeed taking the risk.
--
Roland Perry