UK Card Payments Statistics 2026
This page gathers the most-quoted statistics on UK card payments, merchant fees and the card-acquiring market, each drawn from a named primary source (UK Finance, the Payment Systems Regulator and official records). Published · Last updated . Every figure below links to its primary source.
76% of UK debit card transactions were made using contactless. Source: UK Finance, Card Spending
The UK card payments market
of UK debit card transactions were made using contactless. (September 2025) Source: UK Finance, Card Spending
of UK credit card transactions were made using contactless. (September 2025) Source: UK Finance, Card Spending
debit card transactions were made in the UK in a single month, up 1.7% on the year before. (September 2025) Source: UK Finance, Card Spending
of all UK payments were made using debit and credit cards. (2024) Source: UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025
of all UK payments were made in cash, the first time cash has fallen below one in ten. (2024) Source: UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025
of UK adults were registered for a mobile payment wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. (2024) Source: UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025
Fees and regulation
are the caps on interchange fees for UK consumer debit and credit card payments, set by the Interchange Fee Regulation. (in force) Source: legislation.gov.uk, Interchange Fee Regulation (EU) 2015/751
was the UK regulatory limit for a single contactless card payment from October 2021 until the FCA removed it on 19 March 2026. Card issuers now set their own limits, and most major UK banks have kept £100 for now. (Oct 2021 to Mar 2026) Source: Financial Conduct Authority, contactless limits
was the fixed cumulative contactless spend allowed before a PIN check, until the FCA removed the fixed thresholds on 19 March 2026. Card issuers now set their own checks. (Oct 2021 to Mar 2026) Source: Financial Conduct Authority, contactless limits
in extra fees were paid by UK businesses in 2022 after Visa and Mastercard raised cross-border interchange fees, the regulator estimated. (2022) Source: Payment Systems Regulator, cross-border interchange fees market review
MerchantHQ data
UK card-payment acquirers are tracked in the MerchantHQ Card Acquirer Index, with headline rate, settlement timing and contract length recorded for each. First-party data (2026) Source: MerchantHQ Card Acquirer Index See the Card Acquirer Index
Our own data
The figures marked "First-party data" above are published by MerchantHQ from its own dataset and are not available elsewhere. The full methodology and the underlying table are in the UK Card Acquirer Index.
Methodology and sources
Every statistic on this page is taken from a named primary source and links to the original record so you can verify it. We do not republish figures from secondary blogs. The page is reviewed and the figures refreshed on a regular cadence; the "last updated" date reflects the most recent substantive change, not an automated rebuild.
Cite this page
Our compilation is published under CC BY 4.0. If you use it, please credit MerchantHQ (merchanthq.co.uk) and link to this page. Figures we quote from other bodies, listed in the sources above, keep their own terms. Suggested citation:
Source: MerchantHQ, UK Card Payments Statistics 2026, https://merchanthq.co.uk/statistics/.
Compiled by Adam Parker. Published by MerchantHQ.