Contactless limit rising to £45 to reduce need for PIN use

The contactless card payment limit in shops will increase by £15 to £45 as part of measures to combat coronavirus, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said.

BRC said the move would reduce the need for physical contact with devices where people need to input their PIN.

Increasing the limit from £30 to £45 will also mean more transactions can be made without handling cash.

BRC said the new contactless limit would be operational at some stores from Wednesday but it may be some time before it can be applied more widely.

For example, it may take longer to roll out at retailers currently operating at peak capacity.

BRC head of payments policy Andrew Cregan 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 this 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.”

Meanwhile, consumer group Which? has highlighted reservations about shops asking for card-only payments to reduce the risk of transmitting Covid-19.

“We are concerned this will leave many vulnerable people unable to pay for the basics they need,” it said.