Payments made using contactless card-reader technology have risen from 65 per cent to 87 per cent in the last three years, according to new data from Lloyds Bank.

From April 2020, the contactless limit was increased from £30 to £45, and rose to £100 in October 2021.

These higher limits have helped cement contactless as the preferred payment method of customers when out and about, Lloyds said.

Lloyds’ research found that contactless payments in restaurants were the most common type at 93 per cent, closely followed by health and beauty at 90 per cent and department and online stores at 89 per cent.

Gabby Collins, payments director, at Lloyds Bank, said: “The convenience of a contactless payment is clear when you look at the growth in this type of payment over time, with 87 per cent of face-to-face debit card transactions now made using the technology.”

She continued: “We know how important choice is for customers, so our mobile app gives customers the option to set their own contactless limit, as well as turn the option on and off, and we’ve seen around 800,000 customers use the tool since we introduced it in 2021.”

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