Three-quarters of card payments in bakeries are contactless

Bakeries have the highest rate of contactless card payments of any merchant type in the UK in 2017, a study has revealed.

Almost three-quarters (72%) of card transactions in bakeries, such as Greggs, were contactless, according to the study by card processing specialist Paymentsense. This means nearly 6.4 million transactions in bakeries were completed via a contactless payment.

Fast food restaurants came second, with 58.3% of all card payments being contactless, followed by 57.7% in drinking establishments and 54.6% in pharmacies (see list below for the rest of the top 10).

Notably, consumers can only pay via contactless for transactions under £30.

The study also shows the top 10 cashless and contactless cities in the UK. Perhaps unsurprisingly, London came top, as more than half (57%) of the city’s card payments were contactless. Birmingham was second and Bristol third, followed by Brighton.

“As a society, we’re close to becoming cashless, with contactless now making up over 42% of all transactions. There are areas of the UK that are adapting to this movement, but others that haven’t made the list need to improve and move with the times,” said Guy Moreve, head of marketing at Paymentsense.

“The study further highlights the average person’s diminishing availability of cash, as many struggle when it comes to everyday, cash-only services, such as car parks and taxis, and the importance of accepting card payments within these businesses.”

Contactless payments are most popular with younger generations as 41% of Brits aged 18-24 said it was their favourite form of payment compared to just under 10% of over-55s.