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). Last updated June 2026. 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

76%

of UK debit card transactions were made using contactless. (September 2025) Source: UK Finance, Card Spending

66%

of UK credit card transactions were made using contactless. (September 2025) Source: UK Finance, Card Spending

64%

of all UK payments were made using debit and credit cards. (2024) Source: UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025

<10%

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

Fees and regulation

0.2% / 0.3%

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

£100

is the maximum value of a single contactless card payment in the UK, raised from £45 on 15 October 2021. (since 2021) Source: UK Finance, contactless limit increase

£150-200m

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

Kartapay data

22

UK card-payment acquirers are tracked in the Kartapay Card Acquirer Index, with the legal entity, Companies House number and verified support languages recorded for each. First-party data (2026) Source: Kartapay Card Acquirer Index See the Card Acquirer Index

Our own data

The figures marked "First-party data" above are published by Kartapay 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

To reference these figures, please credit Kartapay and link to this page:

Source: Kartapay, UK Card Payments Statistics 2026, https://kartapay.co.uk/statistics/ (accessed June 2026).

Compiled by Kartapay editorial team. Published by Kartapay.

UK card payments: key figures (2024-2026)
MetricValueSource
UK debit card transactions made using contactless (Sep 2025)76%UK Finance, Card Spending
UK credit card transactions made using contactless (Sep 2025)66%UK Finance, Card Spending
UK payments made using debit and credit cards (2024)64%UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025
UK payments made in cash (2024)<10%UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025
Interchange fee caps, UK consumer debit / credit0.2% / 0.3%legislation.gov.uk, Interchange Fee Regulation (EU) 2015/751
Maximum single UK contactless card payment (since 2021)£100UK Finance
Extra fees paid by UK businesses on cross-border interchange (2022)£150-200mPayment Systems Regulator
UK card-payment acquirers tracked in the Kartapay Card Acquirer Index (first-party)22Kartapay Card Acquirer Index

Source: UK Finance, Payment Systems Regulator, legislation.gov.uk, Kartapay Card Acquirer Index

Figures as published 2024-2026. Each row links to its primary source in the stat list above.

View as plain-text Markdown 
### UK card payments: key figures (2024-2026)

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UK debit card transactions made using contactless (Sep 2025) | 76% | UK Finance, Card Spending |
| UK credit card transactions made using contactless (Sep 2025) | 66% | UK Finance, Card Spending |
| UK payments made using debit and credit cards (2024) | 64% | UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025 |
| UK payments made in cash (2024) | <10% | UK Finance, UK Payment Markets 2025 |
| Interchange fee caps, UK consumer debit / credit | 0.2% / 0.3% | legislation.gov.uk, Interchange Fee Regulation (EU) 2015/751 |
| Maximum single UK contactless card payment (since 2021) | £100 | UK Finance |
| Extra fees paid by UK businesses on cross-border interchange (2022) | £150-200m | Payment Systems Regulator |
| UK card-payment acquirers tracked in the Kartapay Card Acquirer Index (first-party) | 22 | Kartapay Card Acquirer Index |

Source: UK Finance, Payment Systems Regulator, legislation.gov.uk, Kartapay Card Acquirer Index

Figures as published 2024-2026. Each row links to its primary source in the stat list above.
A caveat on the headline numbers
“Contactless share and the interchange caps describe the market, not your bill. The 0.2% and 0.3% caps apply only to UK consumer cards: commercial cards, premium rewards cards and non-UK cards fall outside them, so a merchant taking a lot of those pays far more than the headline rate suggests. Read the cap as a floor on the regulated cards, then check your own statement for the rest.”
K

Kartapay editorial team

Written and reviewed by the Kartapay editorial team.

Reviewed 10 June 2026

Trust, Legal and Governance

Kartapay is operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, registered in England and Wales (company number 16833937). All services, operations and publications under the Kartapay brand are delivered by Best Business Loans Ltd.

Legal and Registration

Registered in England and Wales. Company number 16833937. D‑U‑N‑S 234324824. ICO registered, reference ZC151816 (certificate, verify). Registered supplier on the UK Government's Find a Tender Service (FTS). Details publicly available via Companies House and OpenCorporates. Registered office: Cust Hall, Toppesfield, Halstead, Essex, CO9 4EB. Contact: [email protected].

Standards and Governance

Operates under UK data protection and consumer standards. Aligns with UK GDPR, ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 principles. Working towards Cyber Essentials certification.

Domain Continuity

Primary domain kartapay.co.uk. Business ownership, entity and services remain unchanged. Reviewed quarterly.