Is it possible to withdraw money without a card? Technology has advanced so much that we no longer have to take out the card to pay in any establishment. Our mobile is used for immediate payment like a card, and now also for withdrawing money at ATMs.
Although it may generate rejection at first, going to the ATM without a credit or debit card is not dangerous. What’s more, in some situations it is considered safer than opening your wallet in the middle of the street. No more hiding to enter the PIN or constantly turning to see if there is someone behind you. This new way of withdrawing money will give you more peace of mind and, above all, more freedom.
Are there risks?
Some banks already have mobile applications so that customers can create codes and withdraw money without having the card with them. These codes are sent by SMS and have a limited validity so that it is completely safe and does not remain active for several days.
Perhaps the biggest drawback is that these types of ATMs are not everywhere. Even if your bank has the option, you will have to find a valid ATM to carry out the operation. To this we must add that your mobile may not have NFC technology if it is needed to enter your account.
Another possible risk that many fear is that any criminal has access to your mobile. Although withdrawing money without a card is more secure, if someone has access to your phone they can find private information and access the banking application. However, this should not happen if we have an antivirus that protects us.
Fortunately, mobile phones are increasingly helping us to do more things. It is not necessary to remember the PIN at the ATM, everything has fewer steps. With facial or fingerprint recognition we can access our bank account.
But not only does it free us from remembering the secret code of the card, but it also allows us to leave the wallet at home. Not only will it be less bulky in the pockets or in the bag, but we will have less chance of being stolen. This is especially recommended when we go out to play sports and only take our smartphone to listen to music.
Plus, scammers won’t be able to use hidden cameras to steal your card details because you won’t even have your card with you. The codes generated by the app for the withdrawal of money are for single use, so the hacker is not very useful. And, as if that were not enough, you will not have the need to touch the ATM, so it is a much more hygienic practice.
Banks that allow it
Among the most famous banks in Spain we find La Caixa. Thanks to its web or mobile CaixaBankNow you can withdraw money from an ATM with a code. You will have to choose between “Send code to someone else” or “Send code to myself”. Then you will enter the amount and the mobile number for the SMS to arrive. In this way, you can withdraw money at any CaixaBank ATM, without inserting any card. Of course, you must take into account that the price of the service is 2 euros and that you can withdraw 500 euros a week and €3,000 a quarter with a code.
Withdrawing money without a card is also possible at Santander contactless ATMs that use NFC technology. This technology allows you to connect between devices that are very close. In this case, the ATM and your mobile. If you have forgotten your wallet at home and need to withdraw cash at a Santander ATM, you will have to install the Samsung Pay app, Google Pay or App Wallet with Apple Pay, have your card’s pin number and have a mobile phone with NFC technology. So you can withdraw money just by bringing your mobile closer to the ATM.
However, there is another option: with code. As with the Caixa, you will have to go to the “Withdraw money with code” options in the Santander App. This method allows you to withdraw with a code up to a maximum of 300 euros per day and 1,000 per week.
For its part, the BBVA bank also works with codes via SMS, which can be sent to the mobile of the account holder or to the telephone of another person that we choose. Then we will only have to enter the code in the ATM to be able to withdraw the agreed amount in the app.
