Boots UK, Visa Europe and WorldPay have confirmed today that customers will now be able to pay with their contactless cards at all Boots UK stores, following the successful completion of the roll out of contactless terminals.
UK consumers made over eight million contactless purchases in August 2013 with an average spend value of £6.55, according to the latest figures from Visa Europe. This growth has been driven by consumers becoming increasingly comfortable with using contactless technology, supported by a 23% increase year on year in the number of contactless cards and a 135% increase year on year in the number of contactless terminals.
Nigel Shortt, Head of Delivery - retail, Boots UK, said: "At Boots UK, we are continually looking for new ways to offer our customers great shopping experiences. Contactless payment saves time for both our customers and staff during peak trading periods by speeding up traditional card payment and reducing transaction and queue times. The initial stages of our roll out demonstrated that consumers enjoy the benefits of contactless payments and we are delighted that this is now possible in all Boots UK stores."
Mark Austin, Director - Head of Contactless at Visa Europe said: "We continue to see rapid growth in the number of contactless payments made each month in the UK. Consumers and retailers alike are recognising the benefits contactless offers for every day payments and - as a result - are becoming more confident in using and offering the technology. It is great to see leading UK retailers, such as Boots UK, offering contactless payments and we are excited about other retailers coming on board in the remainder of 2013, and beyond."
Ron Kalifa, Deputy Chairman at WorldPay, said: "Boots UK was one of the first retailers to trial contactless payments with its customers and with the national roll out now complete, joins a growing list of major brands backing this technology. Boots UK has put the tools in place to ensure the investment reaps rewards by both educating its staff on the facility and ensuring consumers are encouraged to use it, through point of sale and wider customer promotion. This support is vital in ensuring the experience is seamless and works for both customers and staff."
Visa contactless payments are very secure and certainly much more secure than carrying cash. Visa contactless cards use the same secure technology as Chip and PIN and have a maximum purchase amount of £20 per transaction. From time to time, cardholders are asked to enter their PIN to verify they are the genuine cardholder and importantly, benefit from Visa's promise that if a Visa card is lost or stolen, they are protected against fraud loss - providing they take reasonable precautions to protect their card and let their bank know as soon as they realise it's gone.