The contactless limit for in-store card transactions rises from £30 to £45 today (1 April) in response to the coronavirus epidemic.
The new limit was already on the cards but the roll-out was speeded up to reduce the need for physical contact with PIN-entry devices during the Covid-19 crisis.
The software on card payment machines will be updated to accept the new £45 limit gradually, so it may take some time before it is applied everywhere.
Almost nine in 10 c-stores offer contactless payment.
The ACS has developed a downloadable poster that retailers can use in store to communicate the new contactless limit to customers and to remind them of social distancing measures.
