Consumers in Europe view 2012 as the start of mainstream contactless mobile payments

NFC Technology in transportation - Mobile Payments London

Mobile Payments London
The results of the quarterly Contactless Barometer study, performed for the second time by Visa Europe, have now been released, and they have shown that Europeans feel that these mobile payments have reached a tipping point and will start to become mainstream next year.

The research involved the participation of 1,700 people who took part in a survey that examined the perceptions of individuals in Poland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom regarding contactless technology. It also utilized in-depth panel sessions with approximately 500 people who already own contactless cards.

The research indicated that owners of contactless cards enjoy the technology for the ease and convenience of the process, but it also indicates that the lack of acceptance in many markets is holding the technology back from becoming mainstream.

However, overall, consumers do believe that the future will include mobile contactless payments, as 77 percent of the owners of contactless cards believe that this technology could become much more mainstream, to the point that it will overtake the payment method share held by cash.

It also showed that 87 percent said that they felt that current contactless payment technology would be vital for bringing contactless mobile payments into the mainstream within the next year and near future.

According to Visa Europe’s head of contactless, Mark Austin, individuals who have already had experience with the technology through cards are beginning to view it as a transition step between traditional credit cards and contactless mobile payments. He explained that the turning point for bringing the technology up into mainstream use will be based on availability. He said that “the more chance consumers have to use their contactless cards, the more enthusiastic their response becomes.”

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