Spending limit for UK contactless payments goes up to £30

Consumers in the UK can now make transactions of up to £30 by using contactless payment methods.

Replacing the previous limit of £20, card providers expect the change to see a sharp increase in the number of purchases using the system.

Popularity increase

According to Barclaycard, who process half of all credit and debit cards in the UK, the amount that consumers are spending on contactless card transactions has gone up by 150% since this time last year.

Head of contactless at Barclaycard, Tami Hargreaves said that the company expects the amount of people who use contactless methods of payments will see significant growth over the next twelve months.

Hargreaves said: "Over the next year we expect the limit increase alongside the forthcoming launch of High Value Payments – where contactless transactions over £30 can be made using a mobile device combined with Chip and PIN authorisation – to drive this growth even further. Ultimately, the uptake of contactless spending is a ‘win-win’ for consumers and businesses alike.”

Spending

Contactless payments are proving particularly popular in supermarkets, and the average spend there is £23, so more shoppers are likely to make the most of the new higher spending limit.

In the UK, the city of Leeds saw the highest growth in contactless spending of any other destination in the country. Overall, consumers in Leeds spent 211% more on contactless payments than they did the previous year, suggesting small businesses may also be gaining from changing consumer behaviour.

Barclaycard said that there is a gender gap with users of the payment, as men make up the majority, although 45% of contactless users are now women compared to only 36% at the end of last year.