Contactless Payment Value to Double by 2030

A new study by Juniper Research found that the value of contactless payment transactions will grow by 106% from $7.7 trillion in 2025. The fastest-growing contactless payment mechanism driving this expansion is Near-Field Communication (NFC) ticketing, projected to grow by 300% over the next five years.

NFC ticketing is projected to grow from 11.2 billion transactions in 2025 to 44.8 billion by 2030, driven largely by the metro sector. To fully realise this growth, providers should focus on making NFC ticketing interoperable across multiple transport modes and operators, as well as collaborating with local authorities to align with smart city initiatives. These strategies will embed contactless use deeper into daily routines, boosting adoption.

The next fastest growing contactless payment mechanism is non-OEM digital wallets - those developed by banks or fintechs, rather than device manufacturers - which are projected to grow 113% over the next five years. This growth is fuelled by Apple’s move to open iPhone NFC access, allowing third-party apps to securely store payment credentials and enabling tap-to-pay transactions. This paves the way for direct account-to-merchant payments that bypass Apple Pay and card networks.

“This increases competition in the mobile contactless payments market, posing a direct threat to card schemes and OEM wallets. To break through the entrenched dominance of OEM wallets, new contactless payment providers must differentiate through added value such as loyalty rewards, real-time spending insights, and integrated digital ticketing capabilities,” commented research author Lorien Carter.