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WHAT THE RULES SAY
Contactless is now how most of us pay in shops.
Behind each tap sit spending limits, occasional extra checks and legal protections if something goes wrong. This independent guide explains what the regulator and the regulations say, without recommending any bank or card.
£35 the most you can usually lose
Check a situation
THE SHORT ANSWER
The FCA changed the limit rules in 2026.
The refund rules for unauthorised payments did not change.
LIMITS
From March 2026, banks and payment providers with strong fraud controls can set their own contactless limit. The FCA expects most to keep their existing limits for now.
See the numbersEXTRA CHECKS
Cards are subject to cumulative checks, typically £300 or five taps in a row, before strong customer authentication such as a PIN is needed.
Check a situationPROTECTION
The FCA says consumers must be reimbursed in unauthorised fraud cases. The regulations let a provider hold you liable for up to £35 in some lost or stolen card cases.
What to doGeneral information only, not financial advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated financial adviser or a free money-advice service.
A QUICK SITUATION CHECK
Pick a situation to see what the Payment Services Regulations 2017 say. The bar shows how much protection the payer has.
Based on regulations 74, 76 and 77 of the Payment Services Regulations 2017. General information only, not financial or legal advice; your provider's terms and the Financial Ombudsman decide individual cases.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
One number on how we pay,
one on what the law caps.
94.6%
Eligible in-store card payments made by contactless
Barclays data for 2024, quoted by the FCA as 'almost 95%'. Eligible means card or mobile payments up to £100. The average contactless purchase was £16.10.
HOW WE PAY · BARCLAYS 2024
£35
Most a provider can usually make you pay
For unauthorised payments from a lost or stolen card, a provider may hold the payer liable up to £35, unless the payer acted fraudulently or with gross negligence.
LOST CARDS · PSRs 2017
Barclays says it launched the UK's first contactless card in September 2007. Its survey found 78 percent of people name chip and PIN among their most used ways to pay above £100.
FOUR HABITS FROM THE RULES
These follow directly from what the regulations and the FCA describe. They are general habits, not financial advice.
Losses arising after you notify your provider are not yours to bear, unless you acted fraudulently.
Redress for an unauthorised payment depends on reporting it without undue delay, and within 13 months of the debit date.
Failing with intent or gross negligence to keep security details safe can make you liable for all losses.
The FCA encourages firms to let customers set their own contactless limit or switch contactless off, as many high street banks already do.
THE 2026 CHANGE
After a public consultation, the FCA decided that firms with strong fraud controls could set their own contactless limits, so they can respond to changing demand, inflation and new technology. The rules took effect in March 2026.
Firms that change a limit must communicate it clearly under the Consumer Duty. Trade press reported that physical cards had been capped at £100 per transaction, and the FCA said it did not expect most providers to change their limits for the foreseeable future.
Questions
Is there still a £100 contactless limit?
Since March 2026 the FCA lets banks and payment providers with strong fraud controls set their own limits. The FCA said most were likely to keep their existing limits for the foreseeable future, so check what your own provider says.
Why does the card machine sometimes ask for my PIN?
Cards are subject to cumulative checks, typically £300 or no more than five consecutive taps, before strong customer authentication such as entering a PIN is required.
Can I turn contactless off?
The FCA encourages firms to let customers set their own limit or turn contactless off altogether, and says many high street banks already do. Whether you can depends on your provider.
What if someone uses my lost card?
The FCA says consumers must be reimbursed in unauthorised fraud cases. Under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 a provider may hold the payer liable for up to £35, with exceptions both ways.
How quickly must my bank refund an unauthorised payment?
Regulation 76 says as soon as practicable, and no later than the end of the business day after the provider becomes aware of it, subject to the other rules in the regulations.
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