UK PAYMENT

MARKETS
SUMMARY 2021
June 2021
 UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 1

UK PAYMENTS
IN 2020

2020 was a year unlike any seen before as the world was hit by the
coronavirus pandemic, with significant impacts on the way most of us
live and work. Unsurprisingly this also affected payment volumes in
the UK, which declined by 11% to 35.6 billion in 2020. 1/2
In 2020 over half of all payments in
Lockdowns resulted in large parts of the economy shutting down for the UK were made using cards
parts of the year. Many businesses also switched to home working,
reducing expenditure on travel and spending in city centres. The fall in
consumer and business confidence saw consumers reduce discretionary
spending while lower levels of business investment resulted in GDP While overall card payments in 2020 declined, their share of payments
falling by 9.8% on 2020 . While all these factors contributed to the fall increased with over half (52%) of all payments being made by cards in
in total payment volumes, 2020 also saw changes to how people and 2020. This was due to many retailers encouraging card and contactless
businesses paid. This included people making greater use of contactless, use, along with lockdowns resulting in many people opting to shop
online and mobile wallet channels, largely at the expense of cash online while physical stores and contact-intensive services were shut.
payments. While it is still too early to say if this is a permanent change
to people’s behaviour, as in many other parts of people’s lives the
pandemic has also affected UK payment markets.

Chart 1.1 Payment volumes (millions) 2010 to 2020

25,000

20,000
Number of payments (millions)

15,000

10,000

5,000

0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Cash Cheque Direct Debit

Standing Order Bacs Direct Credit Faster payments and other remote banking
Credit/charge/purchasing card Debit Card Other
UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 2

In 2020 cash payments continued their long-term decline, with The remaining payments were made by commercial organisations,
the pandemic resulting in cash use falling by 35% compared to the government and not-for-profit organisations (collectively referred to
previous year. Since 2017 cash use had been declining by around using the shorthand “businesses” throughout this report). Payments to
15% each year, so 2020 represented an acceleration of this decline. individuals accounted for half of all transactions made by businesses,
This is largely attributed to the impact of the pandemic on cash with the other half being payments to other businesses.
use with cash payments being affected by a greater degree than
many other payments. This was seen in retailers pushing contactless There are a wide variety of payment methods available in the UK.
payment options, amid fears about cash being a vector for Covid-19 Each payment method provides specific benefits to the participants in
transmission, while many businesses which have high levels of cash the transaction. Payers generally choose the method that best meets
spend were closed. Nevertheless, cash remained the second most their needs in any given situation, albeit sometimes being influenced
frequently used payment method in the UK in 2020, being used for by the preferences of the payee.
just under a fifth of the total number of payments made.
Debit Cards
Despite overall payment volumes falling, strong growth was seen in
Faster Payments as both businesses and consumers increasingly used
online and mobile banking to make payments and to transfer money.
Mobile banking in particular continued to grow strongly, with users
continually widening the range of tasks that they perform using such 44%
Debit cards accounted for 44%
services, exploring beyond checking their balances to also make one-
off payments and manage other aspects of their finances. of all payments in the UK

Over the next decade further market developments, such as those

brought about through Open Banking, the advent of Payment Despite an overall decline in debit card volumes due to the pandemic,
Services Directive 2 (PSD2), Strong Customer Authentication and debit cards remained the most frequently used payment method in
the anticipated New Payments Architecture for the UK, may bring the UK, being used for over four in ten payments. In 2020 payment
extensive changes to the UK’s payments landscape. UK Finance will volumes declined by 7% to 15.8 billion. The overwhelming majority
continue to monitor and analyse how these developments may of the population (98%) now hold a debit card and many people use
affect future payment markets. them to make day-to-day payments.
Consumers made the large majority of the 35.6 billion payments While total volumes declined, the share of overall payments made by
made in the UK, accounting for nearly nine out of ten of all payments. debit cards increased in 2020. This was driven by a number of factors
Spontaneous purchases accounted for 81% of payments made by including the continued growth in popularity of contactless payments
consumers, with the other 19% of payments being made for regular during the pandemic and the increased speed of migration of payments
bills and commitments. away from cash. Debit cards are also one of the main payment methods
used to pay for online shopping, with lockdowns resulting in more
people using this channel to purchase goods and services.

Consumer Business
30.7 billion 4.8 billion
payments payments
35.6 billion
Spontaneous payments in total Business to business
24.9 billion 2.5 billion

Regular Business to individual

5.8 billion 2.3 billion
UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 3

Credit Cards During 2020 supermarkets were the most popular location to
make contactless payments, accounting for two-fifths (41%) of all
contactless payments. The highest rate of use was seen in the
35-44 age group, where 89% of people made contactless payments

69%
of adults in the UK have a credit card
during 2019. The lowest rate of use was recorded in the 65+ age
group, however just under four-fifths (79%) of this group still made a
contactless payment in the last year. Though differences remain across
age group and region, 83% of people in the UK now use contactless
payments, and no age group or region falls below 75% usage.

There were 2.8 billion payments made using credit cards, a fall of

1/4
18% compared with the previous year. Decreased spending on
credit cards may be attributed to a number of factors. This includes
lockdown which closed sectors with high credit card spend, such as
holidays, travel and entertainment. Credit card spending is also closely over a quarter of all payments in the UK
linked to consumer confidence, with the economic decline due to were made via contactless methods
the pandemic seeing many consumers being more cautious in taking
on additional debts. While credit card spending decreased in 2020
repayments grew, as consumers opted to pay back debt throughout
the year.
Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
As well as using contactless cards, other devices such as mobile
Contactless Payments phones and watches can be used at point of sale and online. Nearly a
third (32%, 17.3 million people) of the adult population had registered
Percentage of all payments made via contactless cards for mobile payments in 2020, an increase of 7.4 million people (75%)
compared with 2019. Of those registered for mobile payments, 84% of
these people recorded a payment. Half (50%) of these registered users
7% 19% 27%
2016 2018 2020
made payments fortnightly or more frequently. Similar to most new
technological innovations, UK Finance market research found
that younger people are more likely than older people to use either
Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

During 2020 the number of contactless payments made in the UK

increased by 12% to 9.6 billion payments. This was driven by: Chart 1.2 Percentage of registered mobile payment users in each age
group, 2020
• contactless limit increase to £45 in April 2020
• retailers encouraging consumers to use contactless at point-of-sale 60%
56%
during the pandemic
• the continued roll-out of card acceptance devices especially among 50%
46%
smaller businesses
• consumers becoming increasingly comfortable and familiar with 39%
40%
making contactless payments
33%
30%
At the end of 2020 there were 135 million contactless cards in 20%
circulation, with 88% of debit cards and 81% of credit cards 20%
in the UK having contactless functionality. From January 2020 every
11%
bank-issued payment terminal in the UK is now also capable of 10%
accepting contactless payments. Along with many smaller businesses
now accepting card payments, this has increased the number of
0%
locations where consumers can pay using contactless. 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+
UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 4

Cash Consumers are far more likely to use Direct Debit than businesses.
Businesses tend to prefer to retain more direct control over the timing
Cash as a % of all payments and amount of their outgoing payments, although may still use Direct
Debits to pay for business-critical services. Direct Debit payment
volumes tend to be linked to some extent to the economic cycle and

56% 45% 17%

2010 2015 2020
consumer confidence.

Faster Payments and other remote banking

Faster Payments and other remote banking (millions)

Cash payments continued to decline in 2020, falling by 35% to 6.1 billion

payments. Despite this, cash was still used for just under a fifth (17%)
of all payments in the UK and was the second most frequently used
payment method, behind debit cards. The main cause of the decline
422 1,098 2,952
2010 2015 2020
in cash payments has been the increasing use of debit cards, with the
pandemic seeing an acceleration of this decline as many businesses
encouraged card use, in particular paying via contactless methods. In 2020 the number of people using online banking (via a computer) or
mobile banking (via an app on their smartphone or tablet) continued to
During 2020, there were 13.7 million consumers who used cash only grow. Well over two-thirds of UK adults (72%) used online banking and
once a month or not at all, instead relying on cards and other payment over half (54%) used mobile banking. All age groups had high levels of
methods to manage their spending. This was a significant increase from remote banking use, ranging from 93% of those aged 25-34 to 84% for
7.4 million consumers the previous year, and likely a result of the lower those aged over 65.
levels of cash use seen during the pandemic.
The number of remote banking payments processed via the Faster
At the same time there were 1.2 million consumers who mainly used Payments Service (or cleared in-house by banks) during 2020 increased
cash, choosing this payment method when doing their day-to-day by 21% to just under 3.0 billion. While the number of people using
shopping (although the majority still use other payment methods to pay remote banking helped contribute to this increase, growth also came
their regular bills). It should be noted that while these people prefer to from businesses. Over the past few years, the number of businesses
use cash when paying for things, they are not necessarily unwilling or using this payment method has increased to the point where over
unable to use other methods of payment. The majority of them have four out of ten business-to-business payments were made via Faster
a debit card. Nevertheless, there is great diversity in the way in which Payments or other remote banking in 2020.
different people in the UK prefer to manage their finances and conduct
their day-to-day spending.

Direct Debit
54%
of all adults used mobile banking in 2020
Volume of direct debit payments

4.5 billion
Direct Debit payments in 2020
Standing orders
Standing orders tend to be used in circumstances where a regular
payment of a fixed amount must be made, for example, for paying rent
or making regular transfer payments from current accounts to savings
Direct Debits are used by nine in ten UK consumers to pay some or all accounts. In 2020 there were 557 million standing orders, similar to the
of their regular bills. Direct Debit is a familiar, long established and widely previous year.
trusted method for paying regular bills. In 2020 there were 4.5 billion
payments made by Direct Debit, with an overall value of £1,178 billion.

As a well-established method of payment, growth in Direct Debit

payment volumes tends to reflect growth in population figures and
household numbers. While the volume of Direct Debit payments grew
in 2020, this was at a slower rate compared with the previous year.
This was likely due to the impact of lockdowns affecting payments
such as gym memberships, as well as some customers opting to take a
payment deferral for their mortgage, loan and/or credit card. Many of
these repayments are made via a Direct Debit.
UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 5

Bacs Direct Credit

The Image Clearing System (ICS) was introduced by the Cheque and
Bacs Direct Credit payments
Credit Clearing Company in October 2017 and fully rolled out in
September 2019. One of the main benefits from this is that the cheque
clearing process will now complete much faster, so cheque recipients

1.9 billion
Bacs Direct Credit payments in 2020
will see the money appear in their account more quickly. It also allows
for cheques to be deposited via a mobile phone with a camera. Despite
this introduction, cheque use continues to decline across the UK.

Forecasts
Bacs Direct Credit is a popular and cost-effective method for businesses
and government to make bulk payments, where both the value and UK Finance’s annual Payment Markets Review exercise has in the
timing of the payment are known in advance. As a result, Bacs Direct past involved the development of forecasts for what is likely
Credit overwhelmingly remained the most frequently-used method to happen to payments in the UK over the coming decade.
for businesses to make payments during 2020. As an indication of the Our experts look at trends in payments in recent years, as well
widespread use of this payment method, over eight in ten employees as information about anticipated developments in payments,
in the UK are paid via Bacs Direct Credit. The government also uses Bacs in order to develop detailed forecasts for payments in the UK.
Direct Credit to pay nearly all state benefits and pensions in the UK. These have in the past been discussed in detail in previous
editions of this publication.
CHAPS
In 2020 and 2021, however, the Covid-19 crisis has rendered
the development of forecasts particularly challenging. Indeed,
CHAPS payments in 2020 developing any kind of forecasts is hugely difficult at the present
time, given that some restrictions are currently in place in the
UK (at the time of writing). Large parts of the UK economy have
0.1%
of volume
91%
of value
been brought to a standstill, and consumer behaviour is evolving
rapidly to cope with the new circumstances we all face. While the
government has targeted lifting of all restrictions on 21 June, the
extent to which consumer and business practices will have been
permanently altered by the experiences of 2020 and early 2021 is
CHAPS is used primarily by financial institutions to make wholesale still unclear.
financial payments and by large corporates to make corporate treasury
payments. As a result, in 2020 CHAPS accounted for just 0.1% of the As a result, this report does not contain any detailed forecasts
total volume of payments in the UK but 91% of the total value of for payments in the UK. Over the coming weeks and months, UK
payments. There were 44.5 million CHAPS payments processed in 2020, Finance’s experts will analyse the possible outcomes for payments
worth a total of £91.9 trillion. CHAPS payment volumes are closely in the UK as a result of this crisis. This analysis will be conducted
related to the state of the UK economy. as more becomes known about the extent and duration of
the crisis, its economic impacts, and the resulting impact on
consumer behaviour and government policy. Its results will be
Cheques published in due course.
Cheques used to make payments (millions)

1,050 546
2010 2015
185
2020

The number of cheques used to make payments continued to decline

over the past year, falling by 32% to 185 million cheques, as both
businesses and consumers chose to use alternative payment methods
instead. Cards and remote banking transfers, in particular, are
increasingly used where previously a cheque may have been written.
Despite this decline cheques remain valued by those who choose to use
them, as they provide a convenient and secure method of paying
someone when you do not know the recipient’s bank account details.
UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 6

Total payment volumes in the UK (millions) 2020 (excluding CHAPS)

Debit card
15,812 (of which contactless 8,412)

Cash
6,075

Direct Debit
4,507

Faster payments*
2,952

Credit / charge / purchasing card

2,827 (of which contactless 1,216)

Bacs Direct Credit

1,945

Other
732

Standing Order
557

Cheque
185

*and other remote banking

UK Finance UK Payment Markets 2021 7

PAYMENT MARKETS
HEADLINES

35.6 bn total payments in 2020,

11% less than 2019

2020 over 50%

• Debit cards were the most used payment method with In 2020 card payments
15.8 billion payments
accounted for over half of
• Contactless debit and credit card payment volumes
totalled 9.6 billion
all payments in the UK
• Cash payments decreased by 35% to 6.1 billion and was

•
the second most frequently used payment method
Faster Payments and other remote banking totalled just
under 3.0 billion in 2019.
1/4
payments in the UK
• 48 million adults used cash machines and 77% of them
were contactless
did so at least once a month.
• Cheque volumes continued falling in 2020 and account
for less than 1% of payments made in the UK
• 72% of UK adults used online banking and 54% used
mobile banking.
54%
• Bacs Direct Credit volumes fell by 4% to 1.9 billion. of adults now use
• Direct Debit volumes rose 1% to 4.5 billion. mobile banking
• The value of CHAPS payments increased to £91.9 trillion.

1/4
adults used mobile
*excluding CHAPS payments in 2020

This summary document presents key findings from the UK Finance report “UK Payment Markets 2021”.
The full report is available free of charge for members of UK Finance. It is also available for purchase by non-members.
More details can be found at: www.ukfinance.org.uk