Number of contactless cards tops 150m.

THE number of contactless cards in the UK has topped a milestone of 150 million, according to a banking and finance industry body.

UK Finance's card spending data for March 2024, released today, shows the number of contactless cards in issue has reached 150,172,000.

More than PS25 billion was spent by people using contactless in

March alone. The figures are part of UK Finance's spending data of transactions across debit and credit cards.

The latest figures means that contactless cards now make up 93% of the cards in issue in the UK.

Janine Randolph, head of data management at UK Finance, said: "Contactless cards continue to be a very popular way of consumer spending, whether that's using a physical card or through a mobile phone."

Rises in the contactless spending limit over the years and increasing numbers of places that accept contactless payments have made contactless an increasingly convenient option for some shoppers, when they might have previously used coins and banknotes.