European nations raise contactless payment limits | Progresiv
With contactless payment seen as a preferable measure in limiting transmission of COVID-19, banks across Europe are taking steps to widen use of the method to restrict cash payments involving human contact. In the UK, the ceiling for contactless payment has been lifted from 30 pounds to 45 pounds to limit the need to key in PIN numbers on touchpads. 
The new upper limit will be available from 1 April but may take time to become nationwide as retailers need to recalibrate systems to accept the new payments. In the interim, smartphone payments will be able to use the new system.
Banks in the Netherlands have agreed to raise the cumulative limit for contactless transactions from 50 euros to 100 euros. New measures also mean it will no longer be necessary to insert a card in a terminal and manually enter the PIN for purchases below 25 euros. For the present, single purchases above 25 euros will still require manual entry.
Similar measures have also been imposed in Greece (limit increased from 25 euros to 50 euros); Turkey (120 Turkish lira>250 Turkis lira); Malta (20 euros>50 euros); Ireland (30 euros>50 euros); Portugal (25 euros>50 euros) and Poland (50 zlots>100 zlots). (www.kantarretailiq.com)
