The limit for contactless card payments has increased from £45 to £100. The usage of contactless has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic, as a cleaner and more convenient way to pay for items, leading to the increase by the Treasury and The City Regulator. Not all shops will go up to the limit straight away, as it will take time to up date terminals at tills. The new limit will be introduced gradually from Friday 15 October. There has been some concerns regarding safety of such a high limit and the damage that can be done by thieves before a person is able to cancel their card.
Protect yourself from contactless crime
With the new limit going up to £100 per tap of a contactless card, there is a new attractiveness of card theft for thieves. There are some ways to manage your card and protect it if misplaced or stolen.
Switch off contactless: Customers from some banks can switch off the contactless function, or request a non-contactless card.
Set your own limit: Some like Lloyds Banking Group and Starling will allow customers to set their own contactless limit via the banks’ apps.