contactless

[kon-takt-lis]

adjective

1. noting or relating to RFID technology or devices that use radio waves to relay identifying information to an electronic reader, so that the device does not need to be in direct contact with the reader.

   contactless credit and debit cards.

2. of or relating to an activity or interaction in which people do not touch one another or come into close proximity.

   contactless food delivery.

contactless

/ ˈkɒntæktlɪs /

adjective

1. without contacts

2. referring to payment systems which use RFID technology and do not require the customer's signature or pin number

Word History and Origins

Origin of contactless¹

First recorded in 2000–05; contact + -less

Example Sentences

Nearly half of those surveyed said they preferred to pay by card or contactless payment on their phones.

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Initially, the disruption seemed relatively minor – with contactless payment systems out of action, and customers unable to use its 'click and collect' service.

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Consumers are increasingly storing card details on phones or watches and making contactless payments backed up by facial or fingerprint verification, instead of pressing in a PIN.

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The proportion of adults regularly using physical contactless cards dipped slightly as a result, although debit cards remain the most popular way to pay.

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Meanwhile, the UK's financial regulator has proposed that banks and card providers set their own limits on contactless card payments or are allowed to remove the current £100 payment limit entirely.

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