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Contactless payment to grow in 2010
9 Mar 2010

Contactless payment is to become increasingly popular among consumers and retailers in 2010, an industry expert has told compareandsave.com.

According to Jemma Smith, head of public relations at UK Payments Administration, the increased convenience of such payments would lead consumers to embrace the technology in growing numbers.

Having revealed that three quarters of payments made with cash are for goods or services costing less than £5, she told compareandsave.com that "contactless means that there is the platform for the customer not to rely on cash."

"It is much faster too," she added.

UK Payments Administration is an organisation which supplies the UK payments industry with people, facilities and expertise.

Evidence from around the UK appears to endorse Ms Smith's view, with contactless payment being adopted across a range of industries.

The use of the technology on transit systems is well publicised, with the transport networks of London, north-west England and much of Scotland already operating with contactless smart cards.

However, less widely known is its use in catering by organisations such as sQuidcard. A number of schools have already adopted cashless catering.

It not only makes for smaller queues and more children taking up school dinners, but allows parents to monitor diet. Moreover, children who are eligible for free school meals need not reveal that fact if they choose not to.