In Germany, a combined 46% of adults ages 16 and older said they use a contactless card in-store once a week, daily, or several times a day, according to May 2021 data from Bitkom Research. In the UK, 48% of consumers said they either began using contactless payment methods, or used them more often, because of the pandemic, according to a June 2021 Elavon survey conducted by Ipsos MORI. Meanwhile, in France, 40% of adults cited speed as a big advantage of contactless payments and 29% noted their simplicity, according to a September 2021 poll from OpinionWay and Fortuneo. 

Supermarket chain Aldi, a major force across the region, is testing an app that allows shoppers to pay via autonomous checkout. Amazon will also play a part, as the recent UK implementation of its Just Walk Out technology—which allows for contactless payments—lays the foundation for expansion elsewhere in Europe.