Contactless Limit to be Increased

Contactless card payment limit to rise to £45 to stem spread of virus.

The spending limit on contactless card payments is to rise from £30 to £45 from April 1 2020, to limit transmission of coronavirus by allowing customers to make payments without touching card terminals or using cash. 

Barclaycard, which processes one-third of UK card payments, said it would prioritise the switch for retailers in key sectors such as supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies and petrol stations. The change will also help cut queues at the checkout since contactless payments are faster than other transaction methods. Barclaycard research found paying with contactless saved an average of 7 seconds per transaction compared with "Chip and Pin" and 15 seconds compared with cash.

Depending on the retailer's arrangements, those with smartphone payment apps such as Apple Pay can already use them to make contactless payments for higher amounts.