…as retailers fight coronavirus
In the efforts to reduce physical contact in shops amidst the rampaging coronavirus pandemic, British citizens are to use contactless for payments up to £45, up from the previous in-store spending limit of £30.
Contactless payment eliminates the need to enter a PIN code as it is processed by just tapping cards on card readers.
The new payment limit will be operational in some shops across the United Kingdom from April 1, the British Retail Consortium said in a statement. It added that raising the contactless spending limit would “reduce the need for physical contact.”
Several other countries have taken measures to reduce the handling of physical cash which is a means of transmission of the virus. COVID-19 can survive on surfaces for at least several hours, according to the World Health Organisation.
There are several other mobile and contactless payment options ranging from Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, where consumers use smartphones or smartwatches to pay in stores, to credit cards with an NFC chip, allowing shoppers to hold them near a reader to pay.
“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,” Andrew Cregan, head of payments policy for the British Retail Consortium, said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
The British Retail Consortium said in a statement that it may take some time before the measure is applied everywhere in the country.
CNN