{"id":871924,"date":"2025-09-10T21:12:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T02:12:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/uk-contactless-card-payment-limits-could-be-unlimited\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T21:12:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T02:12:03","slug":"uk-contactless-card-payment-limits-could-be-unlimited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/10\/uk-contactless-card-payment-limits-could-be-unlimited\/","title":{"rendered":"UK contactless card payment limits could be unlimited"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-smartphone-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" data-credit=\"pressmaster - stock.adobe.com\"  width=\"520\" height=\"173\" alt><\/p>\n<p>pressmaster &#8211; stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>The UK Financial Conduct Authority says contactless payment technology technology and fraud protections have advanced enough for firms to adjust the limit<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"Karl Flinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Karl-Flinders\">Karl Flinders,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>10 Sep 2025 11:08<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>Contactless payment limits could be increased beyond \u00a3100 and even become unlimited under the latest Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) consultation.<\/p>\n<p>According to the finance regulator\u2019s latest announcement, card providers could set their own spending limits for single contactless payments. The functionality was first introduced in 2007 with a \u00a310 spending limit on individual payments. The limit gradually increased over time, rising from \u00a330 to \u00a345 in 2020 during the early stages of the pandemic, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252497261\/UK-contactless-payment-limit-more-than-doubled\">reached \u00a3100<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n<p><span>In a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fca.org.uk\/publication\/correspondence\/fca-letter-new-approach-support-growth.pdf\">letter to the prime minister<\/a><span> in January, outlining a wide range of possible measures, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) first proposed the changes to contactless spending limits. It wrote that it could <\/span><span>\u201cremove the \u00a3100 contactless limit, allowing firms and customers greater flexibility, drawing on US experience, and levelling the playing field with digital wallets\u201d. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Contactless cards currently require spending limits because unlike other contactless payments such as Apple Pay, for which a fingerprint is needed, contactless cards do not verify whether the person making the payment is the card owner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The FCA is now consulting on proposals, which could spell the end of the regulator having to update the limit, with payment firms allowed to \u201ctailor\u201d the limits to meet their needs.<\/p>\n<p>But, according to the FCA, card providers are using smart technology to reduce the risk for consumers. David Geale, executive director of payments and digital finance at the FCA, said: \u201cWe\u2019re seeing smarter payment technology and more well-established fraud controls, so it\u2019s the right time to let firms tailor contactless payments to fit their customers\u2019 needs and drive innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FCA highlighted that many card providers offer customers the ability to adjust their contactless limits or turn off contactless functionality. \u201cThe FCA is encouraging firms to continue to offer their customers this choice,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n<p>UK Finance\u2019s\u00a0<a title=\"(opens in a new window)\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ukfinance.org.uk\/system\/files\/2025-05\/UK%20Finance%20Annual%20Fraud%20report%202025.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Annual fraud report 2025<\/em> is external<\/a> estimates that contactless fraud rates at circa 1.3p per \u00a3100 are currently lower than the 6p per \u00a3100 for all unauthorised fraud.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Geale said: \u201cWhile we wouldn\u2019t expect to see immediate changes to limits by firms, they would have the flexibility to make payments more convenient for customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Covid-19 pandemic spurred the take-up of contactless. When the pandemic took hold, people were told to limit physical contact, including reducing their use of cash.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252502539\/Contactless-payments-accounted-for-a-quarter-of-all-UK-payments-in-2020\">Contactless payment technology<\/a>, as the name suggests, was an ideal replacement for cash because, unlike mobile phone payment apps, most people already used payment cards.\u00a0This led groups of people such as the elderly, usually slow to adopt the latest technology, to take it up.<\/p>\n<p>According to UK finance research, there were 18.9 billion contactless transactions made in 2024, a 3.4% increase compared to 2023. It found that the average value of a contactless transaction in 2024 was \u00a315.86, 1.7% higher than 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals are out for consultation until 15 October 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on IT suppliers<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366552172\/Number-of-UK-contactless-payments-increased-30-last-year\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Number of UK contactless payments rose by 30% last year<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/365535357\/UK-SMEs-are-the-most-tech-savvy-in-Europe\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-2-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>UK SMEs are the most tech savvy in Europe<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/365531572\/Average-consumer-spent-more-than-3300-using-contactless-payments-in-2022\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-3-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-3-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-3-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Average consumer spent more than \u00a33,300 using contactless payments in 2022<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252524573\/Huge-leap-to-contactless-payments-in-past-three-years\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-smartphone-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-smartphone-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/contactless-payment-shopping-smartphone-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Huge leap to contactless payments in past three years<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Karl-Flinders-profile-pic-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"KarlFlinders\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Karl\u00a0Flinders<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366630556\/UK-contactless-card-payment-limits-could-be-unlimited\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Sharie Schroeder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>pressmaster &#8211; stock.adobe.com The UK Financial Conduct Authority says contactless payment technology technology and fraud protections have advanced enough for firms to adjust the limit By Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA Published: 10 Sep 2025 11:08 Contactless payment limits could be increased beyond \u00a3100 and even become unlimited under the latest Financial<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":871925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41698,36958,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-871924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-contactless","8":"category-payment","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=871924"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871924\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/871925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=871924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=871924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=871924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}