

Earlier this month Apple announced that Apple Pay will arrive in the U.K. in July with the support of most large banks and more than 250, 000 retailers.
Immediately following Apple’s announcement, the BBC reported that most contactless payments via Apple Pay will be limited to £20 in the U.K.
The transaction limit is due to outdated network specifications at payment terminal or payment provider level.
“The majority of terminals will work to a £20 cap, whether with a debit or credit card, or a contactless device,” a spokesperson for MasterCard told the BBC.
On Wednesday, Apple updated the FAQs on its website to confirm the £20 Apple Pay transaction limit in the U.K. (via 9to5Mac).
Apple Pay allows your customers to make easy and secure contactless payments at any amount. If your payment terminal or payment provider doesn’t support the latest network specifications, as with contactless debit and credit cards today, your customers might need to insert their card if the transaction amount is over £20.
To accept Apple Pay for transactions over £20, your payment terminal must be capable and configured properly, and your payment provider needs to support the latest network contactless specifications.
Although the U.K. Cards Association limits contactless payments for cards requiring a 4-digit PIN to £20 – a limit the organization has agreed to increase to £30 in September – Apple Pay users can use the service for higher transaction values as its combination of Touch ID and tokenization is deemed to be more secure than a PIN.
Retailers with payment terminals and/or payment providers that support the Consumer Device Cardholder Verification Method (CDCVM), a consumer verification method that confirms the person presenting a mobile device for payment is the legitimate owner, will be able to process Apple Pay transaction of any value.
Retailers without support for CDCVM will have to upgrade their terminals or, in some cases, wait for their payment provider to add support.
Eight major U.K. banks have added support for Apple Pay, including Ulster Bank, NatWest, Amex, Santander, RBS, Nationwide, HSBC and First Direct.
U.K. retailers that will accept Apple Pay include Boots, BP, Costa Coffee, KFC, Nando’s, Waitrose, and more. Commuters on London’s tube system will also be able to pay for fares using Apple Pay.
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