UK Contactless limit to rise to £45 from 1st April 2020

As people are being encouraged to use less cash during the COVID-19 crisis, a new measure has been put in place.

The payments industry has worked quickly with the retail sector, governing bodies, regulators and card schemes, and from 1^st April 2020, the existing contactless limit of £30 will be increased to £45.

That means your customers can tap to pay by contactless for payments up to £45, reducing the volume of transactions that need a PIN entry, helping to keep both you and your customer safe.

Stephen Jones, CEO of UK Finance, said:

“The payments industry has been working closely with retailers to be able to increase the contactless payment limit to help customers with their shopping at this critical time for the country.

“This will give more people the choice to opt for the speed and convenience of purchasing goods using their contactless card, helping to cut queues at the checkout.”

How do I update my card machine?

It's easy:

1. From the ready screen press the menu button twice
2. When on the system menu, use the arrow key to tab down and highlight select ‘function’ and press the green ‘enter’ button
3. Key in 81 and press the green ‘enter’ button.
4. Swipe the supervisor card or enter your supervisor code when prompted and press ‘enter’
5. Your terminal will now contact GEMS and pick up the change. When this has been successfully completed your terminal will return to the idle display and should now be able to take up to £45 contactless.

For more information and guidance during the current pandemic, visit our hub here.