Nearly 80% of Canadians Using Contactless Payments Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

According to a new Mastercard global consumer study, 76% of Canadians say contactless payments are now their preferred way to pay when making in-store purchases citing convenience, safety, and cleanliness amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For 70% of Canadians, contactless payments are now their first choice whereas 47% are now using contactless payments more than they did before. The study also found that nearly 80% of Canadians will continue to use contactless payments after the pandemic ends.

“Social distancing does not just concern people’s interactions with each other; it includes contact with publicly shared devices like point of sale terminals and checkout counters,” said Blake Rosenthal, Executive Vice President and Head of Mastercard Acceptance Solutions. “Contactless offers consumers a safer, cleaner way to pay, speed at checkout, and more control over physical proximity at this critical time.”

During the months of February and March, contactless transactions grew twice as fast as non-contactless transactions in the grocery and drug store categories.

Last month, Mastercard announced commitments to increase contactless payment limits in more than 50 countries worldwide, including Canada. Limit increases were part of Mastercard’s global effort to make sure consumers, merchants and small businesses have the resources to pay safely during the COVID-19 crisis.