Banks will start rolling out the new £100 spending limit for contactless payments from 15 October, banking industry body UK Finance said on Friday (27 August).
Contactless payments surged during the pandemic, with some shops refusing to take cash to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
“Given the number of terminals which will need to be updated to accept the new limit, it will take some time to be introduced across all retailers,” UK Finance said in a statement.
Contactless payments accounted for 49 per cent of all credit card and 65 per cent of all debit card transactions in May, UK Finance said.
Transactions in May were double the same month in 2020.
The limit on payments had already been increased to £45 from £30 in April 2020, a month after the first national lockdown was introduced.
The decision to raise the limit was made by the Treasury and the Financial Conduct Authority.
“Increasing the contactless limit will make it easier than ever to pay safely and securely – whether that’s at the local shops, or your favourite pub and restaurant,” Chancellor Rishi Sunak said.
The threshold for multiple contactless transactions before a customer is required to enter their PIN number will also rise from £130 to £300.
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