Some Payment Providers Increasing Contactless Payments Threshold to £45

In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, a number of payment providers have increased the threshold for contactless payments from £30 to £45.

This decision to increase the limit was taken to help customers avoid making unnecessary contact with the keypad and cashier at checkouts, and to prevent the handling of cash which is likely to carry viruses and bacteria.

However, in today’s retail landscape, retail technology can provide the answer for hygiene and convenience concerns currently facing shoppers and retailers alike.

Ubamarket is one such example of retail technology, whose mobile app and “Scan, Pay, Go!” technology allows customers to scan products as they shop.

The app drastically reduces the amount of time spent in-store for customers, but still allows them to effectively purchase all goods and avoid any potentially dangerous contact at the tills.

It also allows retailers to cater to more customers and better assess consumer demand for all products.

Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket, comments on the increase of the contactless limit and discusses the need for retail technology, both in the current climate brought about by COVID-19 and the future of retail:

“It’s very positive to see that payment providers are taking steps to limit the spread of Coronavirus by raising the contactless limit to £45, as this will certainly reduce the amount of cash being handled and unnecessary interactions and contact at the tills.

“However, ultimately this is not enough – the outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted a number of areas in which Britain’s grocers can improve by making the shopping experience far more hygienic and convenient for customers, not only for the current circumstances but moving forward.

“Retail tech such as Ubamarket will help supermarkets to do just that, by doing away with the need for time-consuming queues, unhygienic checkouts, complicated store layouts and confusion about where products are and whether they are in stock.

“What’s more, on the retailer side, stores which implement retail tech solutions will be able to access far more in-depth and accurate consumer data, helping them to assess their behaviour, manage stock more efficiently and effectively, while being able to effectively communicate directly to the consumer base.”