Contactless payments are on the rise but not everyone welcomes a cashless society

Almost €70.7bn was spent through cards in 2021, up from pre-pandemic levels of about €57.2bn in 2019

The value of contactless payments rose by 48.3% to €13.6bn with contactless accounting for 52% of all card payments in 2021, up from 25% in 2017.

Cashless payments surged during the pandemic as card spending reached record levels, according to new figures.

The value of contactless payments rose by 48.3% to €13.6bn with contactless accounting for 52% of all card payments in 2021, up from 25% in 2017, states a new report by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI).