Tap-and-go technology, including Pay Wave and Pay Pass, involves consumers tapping their credit card or debit card on a scanner to make payments, rather than inserting or swiping and entering a PIN number.

Of the 2000 people surveyed in Maitland, 76 per cent of respondents said tap-and-go was their preferred method of payment for over the counter transactions.

Most respondents, 1400 people, said they used tap-and-go most at supermarkets, while almost 400 said they used the method most at cafes or restaurants.

Maitland branch risk and business optimisation general manager Ray O’Brien said security of tap-and-go cards was a concern often raised with him.

“But there’s a lot of misinformation around how secure cards are now,” he said. 

“Australia is at the forefront of card security technology, and fraudsters are struggling to keep up.”