Contactless payment limit: raising it to £100 could push more people into debt

By Gavin Brown, Associate Professor in Financial Technology, University of Liverpool
Richard Whittle, Research Fellow in Economics, Manchester Metropolitan University
Stuart Mills, Fellow of Behavioural Science, London School of Economics and Political Science

In recognition of our changing spending behaviour during the pandemic, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced plans to consult on increasing the contactless spending limit from £45 to £100. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, this same limit was just £30. And while the FCA limit is advisory, it sets an industry standard observed by the vast majority of card providers and retailers.

Clearly, our ability to pay for goods and services via contactless options is useful in a pandemic.…

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