Consumers could soon benefit from the convenience of contactless payment when making larger payments, under proposals being consulted on by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The FCA said it wants to give card providers themselves the flexibility to decide the right limit for contactless payments for them and their customers.
Currently, the limit stands at £100 for card payments, although those carried out via mobile phones face no limit. Many card providers already offer customers the ability to adjust their personal contactless limits or turn off contactless functionality on their card altogether.
The FCA is now encouraging firms to continue to offer their customers this choice. David Geale (left), executive director of payments and digital finance at the FCA, said: “We‘re seeing smarter payment technology and more well-established fraud controls, so it’s the right time to let firms tailor contactless payments to fit their customers’ needs and drive innovation.
“Even with contactless - firms will refund your money if your card is used fraudulently.”
“While we wouldn’t expect to see immediate changes to limits by firms, they would have the flexibility to make payments more convenient for customers. People are still protected; even with contactless - firms will refund your money if your card is used fraudulently.’
Contactless card payments come with the same protection as any other card payment, meaning banks and payment firms must reimburse unauthorised fraud cases, such as when somebody’s card has been lost or stolen. UK Finance’s report earlier this year stated that that contactless fraud rates are currently low, at circa 1.3p per £100 spent on contactless transactions, compared to 6p per £100 for all unauthorised fraud.
This work is one of around 50 measures that the FCA outlined in a letter to the Prime Minister in January to support economic growth and prioritise digital solutions.
The proposals are out for consultation until 15 October 2025.
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