An innovation increasingly available to UK consumers is contactless card payments. Contactless card payments are debit or credit card payments that are processed without the need for the card to be placed in a reader or have a PIN entered.
Contactless card payments are a faster option when paying with your card, as there is nothing to sign and no numbers to enter. They are used for small transactions – currently up to £30 – and are processed quickly, simply by holding your card up to a card reader.
More information is available in the contactless section of The UK Cards Association's website.
Some mobile phones now offer built-in contactless technology.