Brits continue to rely on contactless payments
Contactless payments in Great Britain continue to increase; a new report from Barclaycard shows year-over-year spending is up 166 percent from a year ago.
Barclaycard based its findings on a study of 2,001 adults conducted Sept. 23–26 by Opinium Research.
This news from Barclaycard comes around the same time as data from the U.K. Card Association showing that the number of contactless credit and debit cards in the U.K. now tops 100 million, according to a press release.
Some key results from the study include:
- spending is rising faster in Manchester than in any other city, climbing 325 percent; Glasgow, Blackpool, Hull and Edinburgh also have seen huge jumps;
- Half of Brits now use 'touch and go' payments at least once a month; 1 in 5 (21 percent) plan to use even more often next year; and
- Pubs and bars enjoying a roaring trade with contactless surging 79 percent. Barclaycard is currently piloting a contactless-enabled, self-serve beer pump.
"Brits across the U.K. are increasingly catching on to the speed and ease of 'touch and go' payments, meaning that for many, contactless is now the preferred way to pay," said Tami Hargreaves, commercial director of digital consumer payments at Barclaycard. "No longer is contactless just reserved for the morning coffee or afternoon snack. As our data shows, Brits are turning to these payments for all types of purchases, from a supermarket top-up shop to stocking up on everyday essentials in discount stores and pharmacies."