The UK has joined the movement of other countries by raising the limit for contactless card transactions, allowing customers to make more payments without touching card terminals or handling cash.

The spending limit will be increased from a previous £ 30 to £ 45, across the British territory as of April 1st. The changes were already being considered to help cut queues, according to UK Finance, but the process has been sped up in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, Mastercard has also announced in a statement that will increase the cap of contactless payments in Europe to € 50. “This change comes at a time when 29 countries are implementing new limits and which, according to Mastercard, will improve the shopping experience for consumers,” says the company in a statement. Mastercard has led, across Europe, several promotional initiatives to increase the use of contactless cards and payment via mobile devices.