وفقاً لدراسة أجرتها ماستركارد: توجه كبير للمستهلكين في الإمارات نحو حلول الدفع اللاتلامسية كخيارات بديلة للدفع

• More than 70% of consumers in the Middle East and Africa use a contactless payment method
• 82% of respondents in the UAE view contactless payment methods as the preferred method of payment
• The proportion of contactless payment transactions of the total card payment transactions at points of sale increased by more than 100% in March 2020 compared to March 2019
• Contactless payment transactions in the Middle East and Africa witnessed a growth equivalent to four times the growth experienced by traditional payment methods in purchasing daily needs from grocery stores and pharmacies

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 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. In a new global study conducted by MasterCard on changing consumer behavior in 19 countries around the world, the increasing demand for consumers to use contactless payment technologies was highlighted, as 70% of the participants in this study in the Middle East and Africa confirmed that they use contactless payment methods for security reasons. Hygiene during the Corona virus outbreak.

The methods of shopping and purchasing daily needs from grocery 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 prefer to pay using contactless payment technologies due to concerns about hygiene and security standards at the point of sale.

The study showed the following results in the United Arab Emirates:

Increasing shift towards contactless payments: Security schemes have led consumers to prefer contactless payment options due to the ease and convenience of these solutions. In the UAE, 73% of those surveyed have replaced their traditional cards with other cards that offer contactless payment. 82% of respondents in the UAE view contactless payment methods as the preferred method of payment.

High level of trust in contactless payment solutions: Current global events have increased consumer concern about the use of cash and their preference for using contactless payment solutions for reasons of security and hygiene, in addition to the peace of mind that this technology provides, and 71% of consumers report that they are now using a contactless payment method While 84% agreed that this model is one of the cleanest and safest payment methods during the outbreak of the Corona virus. 85% of them confirmed that it is more convenient than cash payment, and 84% expressed the ease of this method. Also, 78% of respondents in the UAE stated that adopting contactless payment solutions is easy and seamless. 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: We live in a sustainable era in which consumers conduct purchases in a well-thought-out manner; This promotes the use of contactless payments in markets that have reached more advanced stages of adopting this technology, and it stimulates its use in new markets. It appears that this trend will continue. Three out of four people in the United Arab Emirates (74% 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 83% expressed their desire to continue using contactless payments after the threat of the Corona virus subsided.

In this context, Girish Nanda, General Manager of MasterCard in the UAE and Oman, said : "The UAE government has set the most wonderful examples in maintaining the health and safety of members of society, and stressed the importance of preventive and precautionary measures such as adhering to social distancing between people, and avoiding direct contact. And touching devices and tools of common use, such as points of sale when shopping, hence the importance of contactless payments, which is one of the common technologies in the United Arab Emirates, as the current epidemic conditions have contributed to enhancing consumers’ demand for this technology as a safer, cleaner and faster method of payment, especially in Under the current conditions that require limiting as much as possible any physical contact."

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. At a time when consumers are searching for optimal methods that enable them 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 UAE by more than 100% during the month of March 2020. The data also indicated It indicates that 80% of contactless transactions worldwide were for purchases of less than $25, a category that has long been dominated by the traditional cash payment method.

Despite the varying rates of adoption of contactless payment solutions in countries of the world and their use for shopping and purchasing daily needs, MasterCard’s data on purchase trends from grocery stores and pharmacies indicate 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 of the total card payment transactions at points of sale in the UAE increased by more than 100% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period last year, which indicates a change in consumer behavior and preference regarding the method of paying the value of purchases.

Last March, MasterCard announced its commitment to increasing contactless payment limits in more than 50 countries around the world; Including the United Arab Emirates, where the spending limit has been raised to 500 dirhams, and this step comes as part of MasterCard’s global efforts to provide consumers, merchants and small businesses with safe payment solutions during the crisis of the Corona Virus (Covid-19) outbreak.