UK to raise contactless card payment limit to 45 pounds in April

LONDON, March 24 (Reuters) - Britain will raise the spending limit for contactless card payments to 45 pounds ($52) from 30 pounds on April 1 to support consumers during the coronavirus outbreak, the UK Finance industry association said on Tuesday.

"This will give more people the choice to opt for the speed and convenience of purchasing goods using their contactless card, helping to cut queues at the checkout," said Stephen Jones, chief executive officer of UK Finance.

Consumers who need to spend more than 45 pounds will still be able to use chip & pin cards and contactless payments via mobile phone, which are not limited because they use biometric technologies to verify the presence of cardholders. ($1 = 0.8693 pounds) (Reporting by Andy Bruce; editing by William James)