Shoppers will be able to make contactless card payments with a new higher limit of up to £45 per transaction from Wednesday.

The contactless card payment limit in shops is increasing by £15, from £30 previously, as part of measures to combat coronavirus.

It will mean more payments can be made without the need to handle cash and it will also reduce the number of occasions when people need to input their pin.

But the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said while the new contactless limit will be operational at some stores across the UK from April 1, it may be some time before it can be applied more widely.

Andrew Cregan, BRC head of payments policy, said: “Some shops will take longer to make the necessary changes, given the strain they’re under.”

Some £80.5 billion was spent using contactless payments in 2019, UK Finance figures show.