Can contactless payments save the high street?

In 2018, after years of card payments slowly weighing in on the dominance of cash transactions, cashless has now overtaken as the most popular method of payment. Last year saw a 15% drop in notes and coins used, and strengthened by the growing popularity of contactless cards, cashless payments now reign supreme.

Merchant account and card payment fee comparison service Merchant Machine have carried out a study to look at the extent of these economic changes to find its true value in the world we live in. The research uncovers the impact cashlessness has had on specific industries, personal spending and how much different countries have adopted the payment method. Some of the key findings are outlined below:

Big in the Industry

Contactless forms of payment have created a new level of convenience for people around the world, and this has provided a real boost for certain industries. Below are some of the biggest winners:

• Cashless Clothing – Last year, the use of contactless payments to purchase clothing skyrocketed a huge 321% from the year before, topping all other key business types.
• Parking Payments – The inconvenience of having to pay for parking has been improved somewhat by the ease of payment, with 132% more transactions last year than previous.
• Public Transport Perks – Another business reaping the benefits of technology is public transport, where 91% of all payments are contactless.

Cashless Countries

Revenue from cashless payments has become hugely significant for a number of nations across Europe, but who is yielding the most in recent years? Below are the EU countries with the highest revenue from card payments.

• Power of the Pound – With an astounding €106.7 trillion revenue in 2017, the United Kingdom are far and away the leading nation for cashless payments across Europe.
• Revenue Generating Germany – Ranking 2nd in our study of cashless revenue is Germany with €55.8 trillion last year alone.
• Frivolous France – Another nation proving themselves to be tech-savvy and spend-happy are the French, who gathered a €27.2 trillion in cashless payments last year.