Contactless card payments could become unlimited

Admin

September 10, 2025
3 min read

Contactless card payments could become unlimited

Contactless card payments are likely to exceed £100, becoming unlimited, under proposals to allow banks and other providers to set their own limits. The plans from the Financial Conduit Authority (FCA) could make typing in a four-digit PIN to make a payment by card even rarer for many shoppers.

If the plans are approved, any purchases of over £100, including a big supermarket shopping trip or a large family meal at a high end restaurant, can soon be made with contactless card payments. This would make card payments more in line with those made via digital wallets on a smartphone. These payments currently have no restrictions and signal the changing ways people prefer to pay.

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When contactless card payments were introduced in 2007, the limit for a payment was initially set at just £10. This has since climbed gradually to £15 in 2010, £20 in 2012, and £30 in 2015. Then, during the Covid-19 pandemic, it jumped to £45 in 2020 and eventually to £100 in October 2021.

If these plans are approved, they could be implemented from as soon as the beginning of next year. This would bring the UK in line with other nations, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, who all allow the industry to set its own limit.

The FCA will continue to consult on the proposals until 15^th October.

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