Contactless payment limit to increase to £45 in the UK thanks to coronavirus

The limit for card transactions by contactless-enabled cards is due to increase from £30 to £45.

At the beginning of April 2020, UK shoppers will be able to use contactless cards to complete transactions with a higher limit, the British Retail Consortium has confirmed.

The BRC has announced that the move would begin on April 1, 2020 – though it's likely that some stores will take a little while to move to the new limit.

The increased limit has been suggested as a way to further help the public reduce physical contact with keypads on chip and pin machines as the coronavirus crisis continues.

Andrew Cregan, of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The last contactless limit increase to £30 took two years to implement but, given the extraordinary circumstances we face today, this new £45 limit will be rolled-out from next week.

“Some shops will take longer to make the necessary changes, given the strain they’re under. In the meantime, most customers can continue to make contactless payments for higher amounts using their smart phone.”

It's a small difference, but if this means more families will be able to pay for their grocery shop or complete a transaction at the supermarket without having to touch unnecessary surfaces, it can help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

This limit increase comes after we've been urged by experts to wash our phones as much as our hands, as the virus is suspected to be capable of living on surfaces for up to nine hours.

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Coronavirus pandemic

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