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Apple Pay transaction limit jumps to 30 pounds in UK

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The amount of stuff you can buy with Apple Pay in the UK without entering a PIN or signature has grown to 30 pounds, wherein it had previously been 20 pounds.

That’s kind of like getting an expanded allowance.

The UK Cards Association, a national credit card payments industry group, raised the upper limit for contactless payments to 30 pounds on Tuesday local time, a change that also affects smartphone-based systems like Apple Pay. Previously, Apple Pay users were constrained to the UK’s contactless payment transaction limit of 20 pounds.


The higher limit comes in recognition of the widening adoption and use of touchless payment systems as well as an extremely low rate of fraud. Consumers using touch-to-pay technology spent more during the first six months of the year than in all of 2014, the group said. Specifically, The UK Cards Association saw transaction volume from touchless cards and devices jump from 287 million pounds in January to 567 million pounds in June, equating to a six-month total of 2.5 billion pounds.

The new 30 pound cap now covers the average 25-pound supermarket and bar tab as well as the bill for most movie theater and gift shop visits. Point of sale terminals across the UK are apparently being updated to accept the new 30 pound limit with nationwide coverage expected in the coming weeks. Apple’s official support document has not yet been updated to reflect the change.

Apple Pay was introduced to the UK in July and currently boasts more than 250,000 stores as well as eight regional banks.

If you’re on the other side of the pond and have a chance to try out the new 30 pound limit, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

Via AppleInsider and the UK Cards Association

One reply on “Apple Pay transaction limit jumps to 30 pounds in UK”

Don’t know where you get the idea that you can sign for card transactions in the UK. If your card is not chip and pin, you are generally in for a hard time

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