Barclays records surge in contactless transactions

New data from Barclays, which accounts for nearly half of the nation’s debit and credit card spending, reveals that a record 91.2% of all eligible card transactions were made using contactless payments last year.

The average contactless user made 220 ‘touch and go’ payments last year, up from 180 in 2021, with the average value per transaction rising 18.5% to £15.13.

There was also rapid growth in the value of mobile wallet contactless payments over the £100 card limit. These payments accounted for 4.1 per cent of the total value of all contactless transactions last year, compared to three per cent the previous year.

For the second year running, the fastest growth in contactless usage came from the over 65s, where the percentage of contactless users rose by 3.8 per cent.

Adam Lishman, head of consumer products at Barclays, says: “The higher £100 limit, introduced at the end of 2021, really made its mark as shoppers flooded back to high streets following the easing of coronavirus restrictions, leading to a surge in transactions. Brits are also becoming more comfortable making high-value contactless payments from their mobile, with these transactions accounting for an even greater share of total contactless spend.”