Hurried workers grabbing lunch on the go and relaxing with an end-of-day pint are behind rising UK mobile contactless payment numbers, according to Worldpay.
With Android Pay joining Apple Pay as an option for Brits last year, the number of contactless transactions where a mobile device was used reached 38 million, with the total amount spent topping £288 million.
Although this is a tiny fraction of all instore transactions, it represents a year-on-year growth rate of 247%. And, with December proving the most popular mobile NFC month of the year, Worldpay claims that the technology is quickly gaining a foothold.
Lunchtime ‘Meal Deal’ hotspots, including supermarkets and grocery stores accounted for 54% of all mobile tap and pay transactions processed by Worldpay in 2016, while pubs, bars and restaurants made up 20%.
Londoners set the pace in terms of adoption of the technology, with 32% of all transactions taking place within the M25. Shoppers in the South East accounted for 14% of total spend on contactless enabled mobile devices, while the East of England and the North West each made up eight per cent.
With all contactless payment options now accounting for 28% of non-cash transactions in the UK, Worldpay expects a migration from cards to mobiles.
James Frost, UK CMO, Worldpay, says: "As people get more used to paying for goods on their smartphone, mobile’s ability to bridge more effectively across online and offline retail channels will increasingly threaten the future of the traditional payment card. Already more than half of UK shoppers say they’d happily leave their wallet at home and pay for everything on their smartphone instead."