Rule changes from Thursday mean banks and payment providers with strong fraud controls can now set their own higher contactless card payment limits in future.
While Britain’s major banks have said they will keep the £100 card limit for now, with many also allowing customers to set their own limits for lower amounts, it does mean that they will have the flexibility to make changes in future if they want to.
Several account providers have indicated they are keeping the situation under review and customers will be told if there are any changes.
The contactless card limit has been raised several times over the years and in December last year the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed that rule changes would take effect from March 19.
It is up to firms to decide if and when they want to take up the flexibility to change their limits.
The aim is to allow firms to better respond to changing consumer demands, inflation and new technology.
Those that do decide to make changes will need to communicate them clearly to their customers, the regulator has said.
Firms are also being encouraged to let customers set their own limit, or turn contactless off altogether, with many banks already having given customers the ability to do this.
The rule changes would also allow firms to consider changing their cumulative contactless approach in future if they want to.
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Background limits have required people to enter their Pin after a certain number of transactions or spending.
The popularity of contactless payments has surged over the years, with contactless card transactions limits having previously been increased in a series of steps.
According to consumer spending data from Barclays, 94.6% of eligible in-store card transactions were contactless in 2024, with 10 times as many contactless transactions per month than there were in 2015.
And figures from UK Finance show that as of December 2025, contactless accounted for 67% of credit card and 76% of debit card transactions.
The average value of a contactless payment is just under £18, according to UK Finance’s figures.
The FCA believes the option of greater flexibilities will incentivise firms to step up their fraud prevention, giving consumers greater protection.
Existing protections will remain in place, meaning consumers must be reimbursed in unauthorised fraud cases, such as if their card is lost or stolen.
Higher payments through mobile wallets also remain possible, with the phone verifying the person’s identity, for example by face identification or a thumbprint.
Peter Harmston, head of payments consulting, KPMG UK, said: “Over the course of nearly a decade, contactless has become the nation’s default way to pay.
“People value speed and ease above all else so removing the contactless limit takes us a step closer to meeting those demands.
“I don’t expect to see any drastic changes on day one, but over the next few years we will see banks and card providers adjust their own contactless limits or remove them entirely.
“Banks’ top priority will be security. They already pay a heavy price for fraud, so they will work hard to ensure contactless limits don’t expose their customers to greater risk.”
The review of the contactless card limit was one of around 50 measures the regulator outlined in a letter to Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer in January to help support economic growth.
Here is how banks’ and building societies’ contactless card features currently work:
– NatWest
NatWest has no immediate plans to change the contactless limit. If anything changes, its customers will be made aware.
The bank already allows customers to switch on and off contactless and amend their limit below the standard £100, if they want to. Customers can set their payment limit through their banking app.
– Santander UK
The bank does not have any current plans to change the contactless limit from £100.
Santander’s customers can already switch off contactless or set their own limits, in £5 increments.
– Lloyds
Customers of Lloyds and the banking group’s Halifax and Bank of Scotland brands can already set their own contactless payment limits in their apps, in £5 steps, up to £100.
The bank has said it is committed to keeping that flexibility. It currently does not have plans to change the limits.
– Barclays
Personal banking customers with a Barclays debit card can set their own contactless limit, up to £100, within their Barclays app. The bank will continue to apply the £100 card payment limit.
– HSBC UK/First Direct
The contactless limit will remain at £100 for both brands. Customers are currently not able to set lower limits within their app.
– Nationwide Building Society/Virgin Money
A spokesperson said: “We do not have any immediate plans to increase the current £100 contactless transaction limit although we will continue to keep this under review over the coming months.”
Nationwide customers already have the ability to set contactless card limits at below £100 if they want to within their banking app.
– TSB
TSB is not increasing the cap beyond the £100 level it is currently set at.
Its customers can already use the TSB app to lower the £100 limit if they wish or remove the contactless option altogether.
– Starling Bank
The bank is currently reviewing the limit increase changes and no decisions have been made yet.
Its customers are already able to set their own single transaction contactless limit and this will continue. They can change their cap by setting the amount in their Starling app, sliding the scale from £100 all the way down to £0.
– Monzo
The bank’s customers can already customise their contactless limits in the Monzo app, including lowering their limit or turning off contactless payments.
Monzo regularly reviews payment limits. There are no changes to its contactless payment limits at the moment and customers will be informed if there are any changes to products or features.
– Revolut
The bank is not currently planning to raise the contactless transaction limit but plans are being kept under review.
Revolut customers cannot currently set lower contactless limits than £100, but they can set monthly spending limits, capping the total amount that can be spent on that card via all payment types.
