Over 50s buy into contactless

Research by Saga (involving 6,267 people) shows that seven out of ten Brits over 50 now have contactless cards. And 29 per cent use them up to three times a week to buy groceries, food and drink in restaurants or cafes (21 per cent) and coffee and cake in coffee shops (16 per cent). One in ten say they no longer dig around for loose change for the bus or have to rush to buy a ticket before hopping on the tube. And they like not having to carry cash with them (31 per cent) or having to remember their PIN (24 per cent).

Seven out of ten, however, worry about security and half wouldn’t be surprised if there was an increase in pickpocketing as a result of their introduction. The survey also shows that four out of ten people aged 80 to 89 have used their contactless card and in fact, this age group are the least likely to worry about security issues. Paul Green, director of communications at Saga, comments: “Contactless cards are making it easy for people to buy their morning coffee or lunch time snack. And it’s clear the over 50s are seeing the benefit of not having to carry cash or worry about remembering their PIN. But people should use their contactless card wisely and only buy things they really need with it as it can be easy to get a bit too tap happy with your bank or credit card. Keeping an eye on your bank account can help you keep your spending in check and stop you from worrying about the security of contactless cards.”

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