British consumers are in favour of using contactless payment methods instead of cash because of the convenience offered by them, according to a new survey.
Ingenico found that while relatively small numbers of consumers are using technology such as pre-paid cards and contactless credit cards, nearly 50% would consider doing so in the future.
Northern Europe marketing manager Gregor Rankin said: “British shoppers want speed and convenience at the till and they see how these new payment methods meet their needs.
“Retailers can also expect to benefit, as increased footfall is one of the recognised advantages of implementing contactless.”
However, Ingenico also found that consumers wished to remain savvy over the Christmas period and used “pocket money” cash in a bid to limit spending.
It said 83% of consumers preferred to pay by cash during the festive season.
Richard Dodd, British Retail Consortium spokesman, said retailers are still cautious about electronic forms of payment, because in many cases they think they are too expensive.
He called for “transparency” in the extra charges retailers face when payments are made using cards – costs that are often passed on to consumers.
A study carried out by O2 and GfK NOP last year found mobile payment methods are in growing in demand.
