Contactless payments and NFC in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands - statistics & facts
With technological developments happening at a fast pace, more and more payment methods enter the retail market. In recent years, for example, the number of available mobile payment apps in the Benelux countries steadily increased. One specific type of mobile payment is near-field communication or NFC. NFC mainly involves contactless payments made at points of sales, with either a debit card or a mobile phone or payments via QR codes. For customers, contactless is quick and convenient as they simply tap their contactless card or smartphone against a reader and no PIN or signature is needed. For retailers, contactless debit card transaction fees could possibly cost less than with Chip or PIN. Contactless debit and credit cards are already used often in the United Kingdom, where 23 percent of the respondents indicated they used this payment method several times per week. With the Benelux region being in close proximity to the UK, the question begs itself whether Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands also use contactless payment methods.
