Half of the UK adults are now regularly paid for things by tapping their phone, telling new banking data.
The increase in use of mobile payments through services like Apple Pay or Google Pay is recorded in various age groups, trade body UK Finance Show figures.
“People are more comfortable leaving their homes with their phones,” said Adrian Bakkal, head of its major research.
He said that “change of consumer behavior” was clear as it was first marked last year that 50% of adults used mobile payments at least once a month – above 34% in 2023.
Consumers are rapidly stored card details on phones or watches and are paying contactless contacts supported by face or fingerprint verification instead of pressing in a pin.
Some 78% of the children from 16 to 24-year regularly used mobile payments last year, and even more are registered to use them.
Old age groups are also rapidly choosing this option. For example, about two-thirds (59%) of children aged 35 to 44 years regularly paid mobile in 2024, which was above 38% a year ago.
People above 65 years of age are fifth (19%) and often paid by phone.
The proportion of adults regularly using a physical contact -free card was slightly submerged, although the most popular way to pay debit cards. Cash has become less common in the transaction – although around 50 million people still use ATMs.
“Cash fell below 10% of all payments,” Mr. Bakal said. “These changes were not only operated by small consumers. We saw an increase in mobile wallets and now also paid in groups of older groups, highlighting how more mainstreams are being made across the digital payment boards.”
In 2023, with domestic finance, mainly the number of people using cash was raised as it helped them in the budget.
The number collapsed last year, but campaigners say notes and coins should be part of the mixture for consumers.
“While the number of people relying on cash continues, we know that those who are often on low income or are more weak,” said Adrian Roberts, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Link, said, who oversees cash access and ATM network.
“We should not only sleep in digital-keval society before we are ready for everyone.”
He said that there were also questions on flexibility for a digital-paying system, such as a back-up option during comprehensive power outage.
Treasury Committee MPs recently said that shops and services may be forced to accept cash in future to help protect people who trust it.
Meanwhile, the UK financial regulator has proposed that banks and card providers set their limits on contact -free card payment or the current £ 100 payment limit is allowed to be completely removed.
It will enter as a rareness with extra -made safety as a smartphone – there is no limit on paymentless payments through a digital wallet already through a digital wallet.