RFID Payment System Comes to the Contemporary
Radio Frequency ID, or RFID, payment terminals recently started being tested at Disney's Contemporary Resort.
Under this new system, guests staying at a resort will be issued a "Key to the World" resort card. The card will let the guest "pay" for an item, say, at the gift shop with the purchase being added to the guest resort bill. In addition to being a new means to pay for items throughout a resort, the RFID cards will also be equipped to open a guest's room.
At this time, the Contemporary is testing this newer "Touch to Pay" technology by randomly selecting guests to receive and use the RFID cards. As an added measure of security, those selected to participate in the test are being given a PIN number to utilize with purchases over $50.
To make a purchase, the guest touches the RFID card to the payment terminal. The payment is instant and goes on that guest's room bill.
The resort has the new RFID readers at its gift shops, pool bars and the Contempo Cafe. At this time, though, the testing is limited to just the Contemporary; these special RFID enabled "Key to the World" cards won't be able to be used anywhere else in Walt Disney World. Yet.
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MrHub wrote on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 15:09:
I really don't like this coming to WDW. Your information can be stolen so easily its not funny. Here is a link to an article that NBC did about this technology in Feb 2012, and I have seen the victims of this personally.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Protecting-Your-Plastic-116358499.html
I would really like to know how they intend to stop this type of theft, because a lot of people come to the parks now with small laptops and such. It only takes seconds and they can wipe out accounts. I've been the victim of identity theft myself, IT IS NOT FUN! It took years to get cleared up. I say a big NO to this.
finngirl wrote on Fri, 08/10/2012 - 21:01:
The only way I would say OK to this is if they also issue you a RFID "sleeve" with the key card. When we renew our passports in the fall, they will also have RFID technology, and I have already purchased blocker sleeves for those.
I've seen some programs on theft of information with this technology, and it's downright scary!
Kristen K. wrote on Sat, 08/11/2012 - 12:36:
I guess I just don't understand how swiping a card through the card reader is so difficult that it needs to be improved. I'm not sure what I think about all of this yet.
Anon wrote on Sun, 08/12/2012 - 15:58:
The RFID chips don't hold any personal information. The chip "talks to" the reader and the reader "talks to" the reservation system. There is no way a criminal can get any personal info from the chip since they don't have access to the reservation.
finngirl wrote on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 12:52:
Maybe I am just technologically dense, but that doesn't make any sense to me. If it's going to "talk" to the system, then it has to have information to do so. It's my understanding from watching reports about this that the card is broadcasting even if it's not right at the cash or reader. Anyone with a laptop, netbook, etc. and a $30 program can intercept, and bam, whatever info the card has is now theirs.
I know this is probably inevitable, but like with all personal info, you will just need to take precautions, and use the sleeves.
angels444 wrote on Mon, 08/13/2012 - 15:56:
My first impression was how does this differ from a KTTW card, but now that I have read these post I won't want to use it. What if you were just standing close to someone at the register could you be charged too? Too confusing and too many things that could go wrong.
MrHub wrote on Tue, 08/14/2012 - 01:00:
All the RFID chips I have ever seen hold information, even if it is only your reservation number or you room number, they have to have some kind of information to identify you on them and that is enough to be copied and used to make a new card and access your account. Even if it's only transmitting your room number and telling the system to open your door, thats information that could be stolen and I could see that as being a risk.
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