Nine in ten payments in pubs, bars and fast food outlets now made using contactless: Nine in ten eligible payments in pubs and bars (89%) and fast food outlets (91%) are now made using contactless, according to new research. Data released by Barclaycard on the tenth anniversary of the introduction of contactless in the UK also showed contactless payments in pubs and bars have increased 60% in the past 12 months. They are also up 96% in hotels, 52% at fast food outlets and 47% in restaurants. More than £60bn has been spent using contactless since its introduction in 2007 and more than half (51%) of eligible transactions up to the £30 limit are now made using the technology. Six in ten Brits now pay with “touch and go” with spending set to rocket 317% by 2021, Barclaycard said. In the past 12 months contactless spending has continued to grow across all sectors. Clothing stores have seen the biggest jump with a 321% year-on-year rise, followed by car parks (137%), department stores (126%), supermarkets (124%) and gift, card and novelty shops (105%). Tami Hargreaves, director of innovation and partnerships at Barclaycard mobile payments said: “Over the past decade contactless payments have transformed how we shop, travel and trade, making buying and selling quicker and easier. Today there is more choice than ever – from card to cash, mobile payments and wearables. And this is only set to increase with innovations such as our ‘Grab+Go’ invisible payments concept, which allows consumers to scan and pay with a smartphone without the need to visit a physical checkout. Our data shows the uptake and usage of contactless payment technology continues to grow, with paying by ‘touch and go’ now the preferred way to pay for many Brits.”

Costa Coffee extends food menu with autumn offering: Whitbread-owned Costa Coffee is extending its food menu as it unveils its autumn offering. The new range, which includes a selection of hot offerings, will be available from Thursday, 7 September. It includes hot pasta meal boxes such as Italian-style meatball and mac ‘n’ cheese, filling wraps as well as soups that come in two new flavours – British pea and Wiltshire ham along with slow roasted tomato and basil. The sweet range has also been extended to include a selection of cakes, tarts and muffins. Costa commercial marketing director Matthew Williams said: “We’re committed to providing our customers with the best experience when they visit our stores, and based on their feedback, we’ve been working with our innovations teams to develop products that we know they’ll enjoy. These additions give customers even more choice.”