Barclaycard has announced that for April it will be increasing its contactless limit from £30 to £45 for all UK retailers.
The firm, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions, is supporting the increased threshold to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus. Adjusting the contactless limit from £30 to £45 will allow more customers to make payments without touching card terminals or handling cash.
Deployment will be prioritised for retailers in key sectors, including grocery & supermarket stores, bakeries, pharmacies and petrol service stations. Barclaycard will be supporting the deployment of the higher contactless limit to other merchants in due course.
Barclaycard has a long history of payments innovation in the UK, launching the UK’s first contactless payments card in 2007 and leading the roll out of ‘touch and go’ payments across the transport for London Network.
Rob Cameron, CEO of Barclaycard Payments commented: “It’s more important than ever for merchants and their customers to be mindful of their collective health and safety.
“We are proud to be taking a leadership position in the UK by commencing the deployment of a higher contactless threshold. By supporting the ability of customers to spend up to £45 via contactless, we are playing a part in helping UK consumers to pay safely and securely in these challenging times.”
Expert Analysis: The regular and heightened use of contactless payments can undoubtedly play a key role in combating the spread of Coronavirus. For Barclaycard to increase its limit should elevate the use of contactless payments amongst its expansive customer base.
