MasterCard announced today that over a one-year period ending December 2013, it has grown its contactless footprint in Europe by expanding the number of countries where contactless cards are accepted.

Contactless acceptance is now available in 63 countries worldwide, including 34 in Europe, MasterCard said in a press release. MasterCard and Maestro contactless cards or devices have been issued by more than 220 financial institutions in Europe and can be used at almost 2 million merchant locations worldwide, representing more than a 180 percent year-on-year increase, the company said.

On top of the steady increase in the number of places where MasterCard and Maestro contactless payments can be made, the number of contactless transactions across Europe has more than tripled and the volume spent on those transactions has increased four times year-on-year, MasterCard said in a statement.  

"The figures we share today showcase how contactless payment has reached mass market adoption in several countries," Javier Perez, president of MasterCard Europe, said in a statement. "As well as being loved by people across Europe, retailers are also seeing the benefit with some seeing well over 50 percent of card transactions tapped, making the shopping experience safer and simpler for all of us. The move to contactless is also helping us continue to drive the use of mobile payments and by the end of Q4 2013, we had 50 mobile NFC programs live in Europe — showing just how important payment innovation is for all of us in Europe."