Transport for London (TfL) has been named as the fastest-growing contactless payment merchant in Europe for the last six months, and the fastest-growing in the UK by Mastercard and American Express.

The organisation attributed the growing popularity of contactless payments to the fact that passengers using this method are only charged the Oyster card pay-as-you-go rates, making the service both affordable and convenient.

TfL's director of customer experience, Shashi Verma, said: “It's great to see we are leading the market in Europe for contactless payments. Our customers are finding it a much more convenient way to pay for their travel.”

The most popular London Underground stations for contactless payments are Oxford Circus, King’s Cross, London Bridge, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. Contactless payments are also available on the Overground network, the DLR, trams, buses and local rail services.
Throughout the UK, contactless payments have tripled over the past year, showing an increasing demand for the convenience the technology provides.