One Billion Additional Touch-free Visa Payments Made as Consumers Embrace Contactless Commerce
7.4.2021 10:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Visa today announced that it has processed one billion additional touch-free payments1, where previously consumers would have needed to enter their PIN, as consumer confidence in contactless payments continues to grow. This milestone has been reached in less than a year since contactless payment limits were increased in 29 countries across Europe in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The growth of contactless payments has been a key trend during the pandemic, as touch-free payments have gone from being a convenience to a necessity for both consumers and retailers. Research from Visa shows that two-thirds (65%) of consumers globally would prefer to use contactless payments as much as, or more than, they are currently2.
Charlotte Hogg, Chief Executive Officer, Europe at Visa, commented: “The demand for touch-free payments indicates that contactless has become the norm for European consumers and retailers. Contactless payments are popular because they combine speed and convenience with security. Indeed, contactless cards experience among the lowest fraud rates of any payment type and in countries where contactless payments are widely used, fraud at the point of sale remains at historic lows.
“Today’s milestone demonstrates how consumers and retailers now rely on digital solutions to make everyday payments. Enabling contactless payments will be key to Europe’s economic recovery and while raising contactless limits alone won’t revitalise the European economy, it is a step in the right direction, giving consumers the confidence to spend, and providing shops, restaurants and other retailers a boost just when they need it most.”
Growing demand for contactless transactions is evident across Europe, with over 80% of in-store Visa payments now contactless3. In France and Germany, the number of contactless transactions has increased by two thirds and almost half respectively year-on-year4. Of the one billion transactions, 400 million took place in the UK5, and further growth can be expected given the announcement that the UK contactless limit will increase to £100 later this year.
The popularity of ecommerce is also surging across Europe, with over 15 countries experiencing a 40% or higher increase in ecommerce transactions in December 2020 versus the year before6.
With many businesses having to operate under restrictions and keep up with changing consumer behaviour, merchants are increasingly moving to online operations and embracing digital and contactless payments. Visa is working closely with its clients and partners to digitally enable over eight million small businesses across Europe, helping them adapt to enable customers to shop the way they want.
Contactless remains one of the most popular and secure payment methods for Visa customers and will be crucial to Europe’s economic recovery when restrictions lift and shops reopen.
- END -
About Visa
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit our website (www.visa.co.uk), blog (https://www.visa.co.uk/visa-everywhere/blog.html), and @VisaUK.
1 VisaNet data
2 Visa Back to Business Study 2021
3 VisaNet data
4 VisaNet data
5 VisaNet data
6 VisaNet data
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210407005084/en/
Contact information
Ian Burge, Visa - burgei@visa.com
Ellen Hodgetts, Grayling - VisaStrategy@grayling.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Barilla Opens Global Call for Startups Through Good Food Makers 202625.5.2026 12:47:00 EEST | Press release
Barilla Group has opened applications for the 2026 edition of Good Food Makers, its global open innovation program designed to co-develop and test new innovative solutions with startups and innovators inside real industrial environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260521973445/en/ Since its launch in 2019, the program has involved more than 1,100 startups from over 50 countries, leading to 26 pilot projects, with over 20 projects currently active thanks to the solutions developed by the program’s alumni. This highlights the program’s role as a concrete platform for industrial scalable innovation. The 2026 edition comes at a pivotal moment for the company, following the launch of BITE (Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience), the new innovation center dedicated to developing the next generation of food products. Within this inspiring premise, Good Food Makers confirms itself as one of the main levers f
JEOL: Sales Launch of the Laser SEM System “LazEdge”25.5.2026 11:16:00 EEST | Press release
JEOL Ltd. (President & CEO: Izumi Oi) has developed the “LazEdge”, an SEM system equipped with a laser processing system, and begins sales on May 25, 2026. Cross-section preparation instruments such as the focused ion beam system (FIB system), are widely used in science and technology fields across research institutes, universities, and industries. In recent years, demand is increasing for a system that can process large-areas at a high speed, while achieving high-quality of the processed surface. “LazEdge” is an instrument integrating JEOL’s SEM with the laser technology proprietary of Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., and enables laser processing inside the specimen chamber of the electron microscope. This system enables high-quality cross-section specimens produced through high-speed, large-area processing to be transferred seamlessly to subsequent analyses, such as SEM observation, elemental analysis, and crystal orientation analysis, without exposure to the external environment. As a resu
TFG-001, A Novel 3D Neural Microtissue Cell Therapy, Demonstrates Superior Functionality and Reinnervation for Parkinson’s Disease25.5.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
TreeFrog Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies, today announced that it will present new preclinical data on TFG-001 at the 7th World Parkinson’s Conference. TFG-001, a 3D neural microtissue cell therapy, demonstrated rapid dopamine release and extensive graft-derived reinnervation across multiple advanced translational Parkinson’s disease models—supporting its potential as a best-in-class candidate. The critical need for reinnervation in Parkinson's disease In Parkinson's disease, an estimated 60–80% of dopaminergic neurons are already lost before motor symptoms even appear. The nigrostriatal pathway degenerates, destroying the essential wiring that connects dopamine-producing neurons to movement control. While chemical dopamine replacements (like levodopa) can manage symptoms, they cannot restore the spatial precision, feedback loops, or dynamic regulation of a healthy brain network. To achieve true functional restoration, it
TFG-001, A Novel 3D Neural Microtissue Cell Therapy, Demonstrates Superior Functionality and Reinnervation for Parkinson’s Disease25.5.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
TreeFrog Therapeutics, a regenerative medicine biotech company developing next-generation cell therapies, today announced that it will present new preclinical data on TFG-001 at the 7th World Parkinson’s Conference. TFG-001, a 3D neural microtissue cell therapy, demonstrated rapid dopamine release and extensive graft-derived reinnervation across multiple advanced translational Parkinson’s disease models—supporting its potential as a best-in-class candidate. The critical need for reinnervation in Parkinson's disease In Parkinson's disease, an estimated 60–80% of dopaminergic neurons are already lost before motor symptoms even appear. The nigrostriatal pathway degenerates, destroying the essential wiring that connects dopamine-producing neurons to movement control. While chemical dopamine replacements (like levodopa) can manage symptoms, they cannot restore the spatial precision, feedback loops, or dynamic regulation of a healthy brain network. To achieve true functional restoration, it
Galderma Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Differin ® Epiduo ® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC Switch22.5.2026 19:25:00 EEST | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel (Adapalene 0.1% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Acne Treatment) for over-the-counter (OTC) use in ages 12 years and older, marking a significant Prescription-to-OTC transition in acne care. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260522074280/en/ The U.S. FDA approves Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC switch This milestone represents yet another example of Galderma’s unique Integrated Dermatology strategy, demonstrating how proven innovations from its Therapeutic Dermatology portfolio can further strengthen its Dermatological Skincare offerings. The Prescription‑to‑OTC transition highlights Galderma’s scale and expertise in successfully commercializing dermatology innovations across the full spectrum of acne care. With the appro
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom