Contactless payments

American Express has added 26 Caribbean nations to the list of countries where it’s raised the ceiling on contactless transactions that may be conducted without PINs, to reduce consumers’ exposure to touching PIN pads.

People who order groceries for delivery may be using digital payments or a plastic card to pay for their food, but the person picking up the groceries may be making a separate payment at the point of pickup — and in the process, influencing the global shift toward contactless payments.

About 78% of Mastercard’s European transactions are now contactless, and the company expects the shift in payment choice will be permanent.

Mobile and contactless payments have generated more consumer attention as ways to safely move money during the coronavirus pandemic, but there's also a growing wave of support for The Clearing House's Real Time Payments network for banks.

The coronavirus shutdowns have tossed businesses into disarray in numerous ways, most notably the tricky transactions that come with operating a restaurant as a drive-through for the first time.

The coronavirus pandemic is driving a rapid increase in NatWest’s U.K. small-business merchant acquiring unit, with many being first-time card acceptors.

As consumers dump cash and traditional point of sale hardware for contactless payments, PayPal has added support for QR codes in 28 countries.

In announcing its plan to offer a deposit account and debit card in partnership with SoFi, the mobile phone maker suggested that the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate consumers’ adoption of contactless payments.

In announcing its plan to offer a deposit account and debit card in partnership with SoFi, the mobile phone maker suggested that the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate consumers’ adoption of contactless payments.

U.S. card issuers aren’t getting the full benefit of the contactless phenomenon because of their slower contactless card rollout strategies.