Technology

Posted on April 16, 2019 by staff

UK’s top cashless cities revealed

Technology

Contactless card spending surged by nearly a third in 2018 with over 20 million transaction taking place each day, according to data released by Paymentsense.

The company has now revealed the top 10 cities using contactless payments in 2018, with Bristol taking the number one spot.

Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of the city’s card transactions were made on contactless in 2018, a 14 per cent increase from 2017, as it moves away from using cash.

London saw the highest total of card transactions at 93 million, 33 million more than in 2017. The capital now accounts for over 20 per cent of all card transactions in the UK.

The top 10 were:

  • Bristol – 73.14 per cent
  • Hull – 72.84 per cent
  • London – 72.48 per cent
  • Durham – 71.64 per cent
  • Hemel Hempstead – 70.48 per cent
  • Slough – 70.17 per cent
  • York – 69.49 per cent
  • Birmingham – 68.52 per cent
  • Sunderland – 68.36 per cent
  • Leeds – 68.32 per cent

“As a society, we’re close to becoming cashless, with contactless transactions reaching over £5.6 billion in 2018 and set increase even further in 2019,” said Guy Moreve, chief marketing officer at Paymentsense.

“There are areas of the country such as Bristol that are adapting to the shift in payments, while other large towns like Manchester and Newcastle are struggling to keep up according to our data. These cities must move with the times to stay competitive in our current digital era.

“For the many businesses that have embraced the cashless society, the prospect of the increase in contactless payments is a positive move and likely to lead to business success.”