The majority of Germans have paid at least once in the past three months using a contactless debit / credit card, smartphone or smartwatch. Consumers who make contactless payments on a daily basis use smartwatches and smartphones more often at the checkout. This is the result of a survey, the results of which the industry association Bitkom has published.

Of the 79 Percent of respondents who paid contactless between September and November said 20 percent to use the service once a week. 28 Percent of customers pay contactless several times a week, while 11 percent several times a day and 7 percent even use it several times a day. Participated in the Bitkom survey were 1002 people from 16 years by phone. The 79 percent are another 5 percent more than in May 2020

Bank and credit cards continue to be the means of choice Consumers most often use contactless You can still pay with the classic bank or credit card. However, smartwatches and smartphones have recently become increasingly important. 4 of 10 respondents (39 percent) stated that they had reached for a smartwatch or smartphone at the checkout in the past three months. Among customers who make contactless payments every day or several times a day, smartphones and smartwatches rank just behind the debit / credit card.

(Image: Bitkom)

Bitkom Managing Director Bernhard Rohleben concludes: “Those who shop frequently, apparently learn to appreciate the advantages of smartphones and smartwatches. This also includes the high level of security, since the device must first be unlocked by the user and biometric features such as the fingerprint can be used “.

Contactless numbers in the discussion The The security of contactless payment processes via near field communication (NFC) is constantly discussed. Secret debits by unauthorized persons are in principle possible – assuming physical proximity – but are unlikely according to the BSI. During the Corona crisis, several banks and credit institutions increased the amount that can be debited for contactless payments without entering a PIN from 25 Euro to 50 Euro. Most recently, the European Court of Justice stood on the side of consumers and declared that banks cannot claim that it is technically impossible to block bank cards for contactless payments via NFC.

(ndi) 2020