Contactless card payment limit raised to £30

The limit for how much people can spend when using the contactless card payment system is being raised to £30, as usage of the quick and easy technology increases exponentially. Previously, those paying without inputting their pin-code would only be able to spend up to £20 as a security measure, but that is now being increased.

The reasoning for this raise though, isn't because security has been improved, but so that the average consumer's shop – £25 – can make use of the system, speeding up the payment process and making the check out procedure more efficient. This was pushed for by UK regulatory body, the UK Cards Association, which also highlighted how incidents of fraud were as low as one pence for every £100 spent.

However privacy watchdogs still warn that a contactless system provides very little in the way of protection for those whose card is stolen or copied without their notice. Payments are small enough that they may go unnoticed for some time and there was the potential for identity theft to occur in a fraction of a second too.

Visa however is fond of the contactless payments, with managing director of the UK and Ireland, Kevin Jenksins saying that it was becoming the “new normal” way to pay for everyday items and conduct smaller transactions, as per the BBC.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Although I do occasionally make use of contactless payments, I always find it a bit nerve racking and make sure to check the payment total first. Do you guys use it happily enough? Any of you run into any problems?

Image source: Visa

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