Iceland completes £45 contactless limit roll-out in record time
Iceland has increased its contactless card payments limit from £30 to £45.
“We completed this roll-out in record time. All our 980 stores are operating with the new contactless limit. In fact all our high card payment stores were live by the start of trade on 1st April,” says Emma Tysoe, Head of IT Development - Stores & Marketing Systems.
The new limit has been operational at some other UK retailers since 1st April, but it looks like it may take some time before it can be applied everywhere.
Also of interest: Don’t bash cash during coronavirus outbreak
Morrisons went live yesterday as part of its move to reduce the use of cash during the coronavirus pandemic.
Aldi and Waitrose were also quick to implement the change as was Superdrug. And others need to follow suit asap, according to GlobalData.
“This rise in the contactless limit will be broadly welcomed by the supermarkets, as it allows grocers to move relevant shoppers through the payment process slightly quicker and help ease congestion strain caused by staggered entry,” says Thomas Brereton, Retail Analyst at GlobalData.
“But to avoid confusing customers that may shop at different locations, grocers that have not implemented this contactless rise yet, need to do so as quickly as possible.”
While it risks only adding seconds onto individual shopper journeys, further disruption to shopping habits for essentials may irritate buyers and lead to increased switching between retailers, he argues. This is all the more important given the preference for consumers to use contactless methods for payments in these surreal times.
