وفقاً لأحدث دراسات ماستركارد: توجه كبير للمستهلكين في الشرق الأوسط وإفريقيا نحو حلول الدفع اللاتلامسية كخيارات بديلة للدفع

• Seven out of ten consumers in the Middle East and Africa use a contactless payment method
• The Central Bank of Egypt raises the limit on contactless payments to 600 pounds, to provide consumers with a safe and clean way to pay when purchasing food supplies and other goods during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Contactless payment transactions in the region between February and March witnessed a growth equivalent to four times the growth experienced by traditional payment methods in purchasing daily needs from food stores and pharmacies
• MasterCard cooperated with mobile companies and banks in Egypt to launch the self-registration system for electronic wallets and provide safe payment opportunities

Cairo, Egypt, April 30, 2020 - During the month of March, many Middle Eastern countries imposed restrictions that contributed to changing the lifestyle of many societies in those countries. As a result of these restrictions, a large number of consumers have resorted to adopting contactless payment solutions when purchasing their daily needs. And, 70% of the participants in this study in the Middle East and Africa confirmed that they use contactless payment methods for safety and hygiene reasons during the outbreak of the Corona virus.

The methods of shopping and purchasing daily needs from food stores, pharmacies and other necessary supplies have witnessed a major transformation in recent times, as shoppers have to apply social distancing practices and other preventive measures when going out to purchase the daily needs of their families. The study indicated that this shift was more evident when paying for purchases; Consumers are increasingly using contactless payment technologies due to concerns about hygiene and security standards at points of sale.

The study showed the following results in the Middle East and Africa:

• Increasing shift towards contactless payments: Security schemes have led consumers to prefer contactless payment options due to the ease and convenience of these solutions. Six out of ten (61%) participants in the study in the region resorted to replacing their traditional cards with other cards that offer the advantage of contactless payment.
• High level of confidence in contactless payment solutions: The current global events have increased consumers’ concern about the use of cash and their preference to use contactless payment solutions for reasons of peace of mind provided by this technology, and 70% of consumers in the region reported that they are now using a contactless payment method, while they agreed. 84% agree that this model is one of the cleanest and safest payment methods. While 79% expressed the ease of this method. Contactless payments are also 10 times faster than other direct payment methods, allowing customers to enter and leave stores in less time.
• Contactless Payment, Born to Stay: Today we are experiencing times when consumers are making purchases in a well-thought-out manner, which promotes the use of contactless payments in markets that have reached more advanced stages of adopting this technology, and stimulates its use in new markets. It appears that this trend will continue. Three out of four people (64% of those included in the study) confirmed that fears of infection with the Corona virus had prompted them to limit the use of cash payments, while 81% expressed their desire to continue using contactless payments after the threat of the Corona virus subsided.

Said Magdi Hassan, General Manager , MasterCard Egypt and Pakistan: "At a time when the safety and health of citizens comes in the first place, it is necessary to provide easy, safe and innovative technological solutions to enable them to complete their daily financial transactions while adhering to social distancing measures. The Central Bank of Egypt has taken important decisions to limit the spread of the Corona virus, in addition to doubling Limits of contactless payment transactions that do not require card holder verification to 600 EGP, the Central Bank of Egypt has allowed mobile companies and banks to provide a self-registration service for electronic wallets that allows consumers to conduct all their financial transactions easily and securely without leaving their homes.MasterCard supports these initiatives as part of our efforts To accelerate the digital transformation by facilitating digital and contactless payment transactions in Egypt, in a manner that enhances the efficiency and safety of payment solutions, and encourages people to adhere to the requirements of social separation.”

In addition to encouraging contactless payment technology, MasterCard has worked with the Central Bank of Egypt, partners, and government agencies to make its expertise and technology available to facilitate the self-registration system for mobile phone wallets in Egypt. There are currently about 14 million such wallets in the country, which allow customers to pay bills online, shop and transfer money without having to leave their homes. Note that in the past, customers were required to visit one of the bank's branches or mobile service providers to request registration with the electronic wallet application. The Central Bank’s decision to allow mobile phone operators and banks to provide self-registration services for e-wallet services contributes to accelerating the digital transformation of financial transactions, and providing secure and highly efficient payment solutions for all, while at the same time supporting the requirements of social separation.

Today, customers can register for the smart wallet application through the trusted digital channels of mobile service companies, with expectations that more banks will join to provide this service on a larger scale in the next few weeks.

An important transformation period for contactless payment solutions

For years, MasterCard has been leading the global effort to adopt contactless payment solutions, emphasizing the importance of these solutions as a secure, easy and fast payment method. As consumers search for ways to quickly enter and exit stores without touching payment devices, data released by MasterCard indicates a significant growth in the use of contactless payment solutions in the world by more than 40% during the first quarter of 2020 [1] . The data also indicated that 80% of contactless transactions worldwide were for purchases of less than 25 dollars, a category that has long been dominated by the traditional cash payment method.

Despite the varying rates of adoption of contactless payment solutions and their use for shopping and purchasing daily needs in countries of the world, MasterCard data on purchase trends from food stores and pharmacies indicates a significant increase in the use of contactless payments in various regions of the world during the months of February and March. MasterCard revealed that the proportion of contactless payment transactions out of the total card payment transactions in food stores and pharmacies in the Middle East and Africa increased by nearly four times [2] , which indicates a change in consumer behavior and preference regarding the method of payment for purchases.

Over the past few weeks, MasterCard announced its commitment to increasing the limits for contactless payments that do not require cardholder identity verification in more than 50 countries around the world, including Egypt, where the Central Bank of Egypt's decision to raise transaction limits to 600 pounds. The move comes as part of MasterCard's global efforts to provide consumers, merchants and small businesses with secure payment solutions during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Notes to editors

¹ Growth was calculated based on the percentage increase in contactless payment transactions compared to the percentage increase in contactless transactions, and compared between March 2020 and March 2019, for purchases in grocery stores and pharmacies. Source: MasterCard Data Warehouse

² Growth calculated based on the percentage increase in contactless transactions out of total direct card transactions, compared between March 2020 and February 2020, for purchases in grocery stores and pharmacies Source: MasterCard Data Warehouse

Study Methodology

• The study included online interviews with 17,000 consumers in 19 countries from around the world.
• 1,000 participants with a bank account for each country: the United States and Canada (North America); Australia and Singapore (Asia Pacific); United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa (Middle East and Africa); United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Russia and Netherlands (Europe).
• 500 participants have a bank account for each country: Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Colombia (Latin America and the Caribbean).
• The study was conducted between 10-12 April 2020
• A representative sample at the national level

• Readable polled samples from:
  
  
  • Generation Z / Millennials
  • Wealthy [At the Country Level]
  • Users of non-contact technologies
  • Prime shoppers
  • Samples of those concerned about the outbreak of the Corona virus (Covid-19)