UK contactless payment rules set to change from March 19 affecting all UK cardsBanks will be able to set higher contactless card limits from March 19, with the FCA removing the £100 cap, though most firms expected to maintain current limits for nowView Image Banks will be able to set higher contactless card limits from March 19 (Image: Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images)Fewer than half of the banks and building societies reviewed by a ratings platform currently allow account holders to set their own contactless payment threshold. ‌The study found that merely 13 out of 31 (42%) banks and building societies assessed give customers the ability to determine their own contactless payment ceiling, though 21 (68%) did enable users to suspend contactless transactions. Features like setting your own contactless limit or freezing payments give customers a practical way to put the brakes on spending if they need to." UK Finance, the banking and finance industry body, announced in December that whilst it doesn't anticipate any immediate alteration to the £100 contactless threshold, "any changes made in the future will be done carefully and ensure strong security and fraud controls remain in place". ‌The FCA has also previously suggested that, drawing on feedback from the sector, it anticipates most firms will retain the £100 threshold for the time being.

Source: Daily Mirror February 23, 2026 13:44 UTC