Half of UK adults used mobile contactless payments regularly last year, while cash accounted for less than 10% of payments for the first time, according to a banking and finance industry body. The report said: “In terms of the total population, 50% were using mobile contactless payments at least once a month in 2024. UK Finance said that, in a similar way to how contactless payments have replaced some low-value payments in physical cash, contactless mobile payments appear to be replacing contactless payments initiated using aphysical card. Around 16.9 million adults used cash once a month or less last year, while 1.2 million mainly used cash, UK Finance said. Nearly a fifth (19%) of people aged 65-plus rarely used cash (using it once a month or less frequently), compared with 40% of 16 to 24-year-olds.