19June2017, 9.30am

Contactless now the favoured way to pay for British shoppers as spending leaps 34 per cent since the start of 2017

  • Barclaycard Contactless Spending Index shows this year is set to be another record-breaker for ‘touch and go’ payments after spending jumps by more than a third
  • Mobile payments surging in popularity with the amount spent through Barclaycard’s Android Contactless Mobile app also rising by 90 per cent
  • As the tenth anniversary of Barclaycard introducing contactless to the UK approaches in September, more than half ofin-store card payments up to £30 are now made using thetechnology
  • Shoppers in the north of England are increasing their use of ‘touch and go’ more than anywhere else in the UK, with the biggest jumps in spending seen in Derby, Chester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Coventry and Stoke-on-Trent

Data released by Barclaycard today as part of its quarterly Contactless Spending Indexshows that ‘touch and go’ payments continue to surge in popularity with spending up by more than a third (34 per cent) since the turn of the year*.

As the tenth anniversary of Barclaycard introducing contactless technology to the UK approaches inSeptember, this latest insight reveals ‘touch and go’ is now the preferred way to pay among British shoppers. More than half (51 per cent) of all transactions up to the eligible spending limit of £30 are now made using contactless, which shaves seven seconds off the time taken to process atransaction compared to Chip and PIN.

The news comes as industry body, The UK Cards Association (UKCA), reveals XYZ (insight line from its release).While contactless card transactions have been continuing to grow over the past few years, datafrom the Index shows that mobile payments are now also catching on at a rapid rate; with the amount spent by users of Barclaycard’s Android Contactless Mobile app jumping by 90 per cent already in 2017.

Where’s Britain spending?

With the weather warming up, garden centres have seen the biggest jump in contactless payments as green fingered Brits splash out 199 per cent more since the start of the year stocking up on supplies. Elsewhere clothing stores and hotels & accommodation have also seen significant rises with the increase accounted for by both higher consumer spending and more merchants now accepting the technology.

Position / Category / 2017 spending increase
1 / Garden centres / 199%
2 / Clothing stores / 73%
3 / Hotels & accommodation / 65%
4 / Pubs and bars / 50%
5 / Sports shops / 50%
6 / Passenger railways & commuter transport / 45%
7 / Discount and variety stores / 45%
8 / Department stores / 43%
9 / Building and DIY stores / 43%
10 / Convenience stores / 43%
11 / Health and Beauty / 39%

The national picture

Shoppers in the north of England are increasing their use of contactless more than anywhere else in the UK, with the biggest jumpsin spending seen in Derby (up 45 per cent), Chester (up 44 per cent), Newcastle Upon Tyne (up 42 per cent), Coventry (up 42 per cent) and Stoke on Trent (up 41 per cent).

Position / City / 2017 spending increase
1 / Derby / 45%
2 / Chester / 44%
3 / Newcastle upon Tyne / 42%
4 / Coventry / 42%
5 / Stoke on Trent / 41%
6 / Exeter / 40%
7 / Birmingham / 40%
8 / Oxford / 40%
9 / Leeds / 39%
10 / Ipswich / 39%

Tami Hargreaves, Commercial Director, Digital Consumer Payments at Barclaycard, said:

“Our data shows that contactless spending has been surging in use for several years, but this latest insight is particularly significant as it shows shoppers now prefer pay with ‘touch and go’ – saving them valuable time and at the check-out and making buying goods and services far more convenient too.”

“September will mark the tenth anniversary of Barclaycard introducing contactless to the UK and during this time we’ve seen the technology evolve a rapid pace - from mobile and wearable devices - to invisible payments such as our newly launched ‘Grab+Go’ concept which allows consumers to scan and pay for their shopping with a smartphone.And with more innovation in the pipeline and a continued rise in consumer and merchant adoption, 2017 is on track to be another record-breaking year for contactless spending.

- Ends -

Notes to editors

For more information please contact Chloe Wilkinson, Senior PR Manager, Barclaycard, on 020 3555 4036 or

* Barclaycard Contactless data analysing the increase in spending since the 1st January 2017.

About Barclaycard

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Bank PLC, is a leading global payment business that helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and take payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit and point-of-sale finance. In 2016 we processed over £250bn in transactions globally. Barclaycard is a pioneer of new forms of payment and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting-edge forms of payment for the future. We also partner with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

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