Shoppers across the UK will now be able to pay up to £100 using contactless card payment services from today.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the payment cap was increased to £45 to help reduce the need for customers to handle cards and cash due to concerns about the virus being transmitted via surfaces.
But today’s payment limit increase to £100, announced last week, is the most significant yet.
The latest increase, which was initially announced in March’s budget, will not be available everywhere straight away however, as some businesses and retailers still need to roll out changes to their technology, while others may choose not to adopt the new limit at all.
The British Retail Consortium said consumers should check with individual stores, as it could take “days, weeks or even months” for the change to be put in place.
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Here’s everything we know so far.
Why is the limit increasing?
As mentioned, the decision to increase the limit was taken by the Treasury and the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and was announced last week, but Chancellor Rishi Sunak first teased it during his 2021 Budget back in March.
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Mr Sunak said the decision to increase the limit to £100 would not only be more convenient for shoppers, but it would also be a boost to the High Street following several lockdowns.
When contactless card payments were introduced in 2007, the transaction limit was set at £10 and designed as an alternative to small change – but the limit has been gradually raised five times over a number of years since then.
It increased to £45 last year, as the pandemic accelerated a move away from cash.
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The increase also comes after it was found that more than a quarter of all payments in the UK were contactless in 2020, according to figures from the banking trade body UK Finance, with 83% of people using the technology.
A Financial Conduct Authority spokesperson said the rules have been changed to help the industry continue “to respond to the changing ways in which people prefer to pay”.
Shoppers across the UK will now be able to pay up to £100 using contactless card payment services from today / Credit: Flickr
Why can’t it be used in all retailers just yet?
The short answer is that not every shop is ready to facilitate the new limit from today,
Due to the huge number of terminals which need to be updated, this means that Friday marks the first day of a gradual introduction of the new limit, with the Andrew Cregan – Payments Policy Adviser at the British Retail Consortium – admitting: “It may take days, weeks, or even months for some retailers to make the necessary changes in their systems so that the new limit can take effect.”
“Some retailers may [also] choose not to adopt the new contactless limit,” he added.
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“As a result, customers will need to take care when making payments to check what the maximum contactless limit is for individual stores.”
The increase also comes after it was found that more than a quarter of all payments in the UK were contactless in 2020 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
What are the risks?
A number of experts and organisations have spoken out to make shoppers aware of the risks as the limit increases to £100, warning that the change will make contactless cards more of a target for fraudsters, or cause problems for people who are struggling to stay in control of their spending.
Age UK has also warned that because the raising of the limit could increase the potential for fraud, it may therefore put some older people off using bank cards to pay for goods and services when they’re out and about.
Because of this, several banks across the UK have said they will also allow account holders to set a contactless limit of less than £100, or even turn it off altogether.
Gareth Shaw – Head of Which? Money – added: “While paying with contactless offers great flexibility and convenience for many people, some may be wary about the significant increase – so it is encouraging to see some banks allowing customers to set their own contactless limits from as low as £30.
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“These changes may make contactless cards slightly more attractive for fraudsters, but encouragingly the risk of being defrauded via a contactless card remains low and if a fraudster does use your card details then your card provider should reimburse you.
“Consumers should be able to feel confident using them.”
Featured Image – Flickr
News
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
The Manc -
15th October 2021 
