- Transport for London (TfL) introduces contactless transactions across the whole network today
- London Underground is already London’s sixth most popular merchant*
- August saw a 39% rise in the average number of London Underground transactions
- Innovative bank provides free protectors to help customers avoid card clash
Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer at Metro Bank comments: “The introduction of contactless payments will be incredibly convenient for London’s transport users.
“Our figures show that Londoners already spend a significant amount with TFL, with Metro Bank customers spending over £2.2 million on their credit, debit and cash cards on the London Underground in the last six months. During this time, Metro Bank processed over 150,000 London Underground transactions from its cards, an average of 26,000 a month. What’s more, in August we saw a huge 39% rise in the number of transactions across the network**, as Londoners took advantage of the sunny weather and longer days. We believe this figure is set to soar from the 16th September when anyone travelling on the TFL network will be able to pay for individual journeys with a contactless payment card.
“Card clash will be a real concern for London transport users, which is why we’re giving away free Card Protectors. Should the wrong card be read, your fare could be charged to a card you didn't intend to pay with or you could be charged two maximum fares. Metro Bank is focused on providing the best customer service and convenience for our customers, and this extends into every area of our customers’ lives. That’s why we’re inviting all of them to pick up a new Card Protector from inside any Metro Bank store.”
In order to combat any chance of ‘card clash’, Metro Bank is giving away free Card Protectors to all of its customers. These small covers sit discreetly on the outside of a contactless card and prevent TFL machines from reading the information, and potentially charging customers twice.