Accessibility Page Navigation
Style sheets must be enabled to view this page as it was intended.
Print Header
European Retail Solutions Awards Winners
Contactless Payments
Frame

Contactless Limit Increases to £15

As of 20th February 2010, the transaction limit has increased from £10 to £15 for contactless payments. 

The change follows demand from retailers and cardholders that the limit be increased, and also keeps the UK in line with the rest of Europe (where the limit is €25). 

The change was presented to Visa and Mastercard and agreed by their respective governing boards and committees, where all the UK banks are represented.  All UK acquiring banks have also aligned on both the limit and the timing of the change. 

This change is a positive step for the industry, as it creates opportunities for the expansion of contactless payments into new market categories, such as supermarkets, and provides consumers with greater opportunity to use their contactless cards.  It is expected that by the end of the 2010, 1 in 6 cardholders will have a contactless enabled card, and so the demand for retail outlets that utilise contactless technology will significantly increase. 

The relatively small increase in the maximum value of a contactless transaction is not considered to increase the attractiveness of contactless transactions from a fraudster’s perspective. The £15 limit works in conjunction with security settings on the card, and consumers will still periodically be asked to enter their PIN as a security check. 

The limit will continue to be reviewed periodically as the rollout expands and commercial demands evolve to ensure it remains fit for purpose. 

Retailers currently using Commidea’s contactless solution will need to either download an account update, or a configuration change via WebCom, depending on the version that the merchant is using.  Once this download has been completed, retailers will be able to accept the new £15 limit.  

Commidea is the UK’s leading provider of Contactless Payment Solutions, with over 2,000 contactless devices in the marketplace.  If you would like to benefit from the increasing consumer demand for contactless transactions then please contact us on 08444 828 200, or email marketing@commidea.com.