Contactless payment limits increased in wake of COVID-19
The spending limit for contactless card payments has been increased from £30 to £45, with a national roll-out which started from 1 April 2020.
The decision to raise the limit was taken following consultation between the retail sector and the finance and payments industry and follows similar increases in several other European countries over the past week.
The changes were already under consideration by the industry, but the process has been expedited as part of the industry’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak to support consumers who choose to pay using contactless at this time.
From 1 April 2020, consumers will have seen an increasing number of retailers accepting contactless card payments up to the new £45 limit.
It will reduce the number of occasions when people need to input their pin, speeding up queues – a change that will be particularly welcome in UK supermarkets which had their busiest month on record in March as shoppers stocked up on supplies.
It will also mean more payments can be made without the need to handle cash, which should cut retailers’ costs and will help in the fight against the current pandemic.
