Paying by contactless increasingly doesn't even require you to make contact with the physical plastic card.
e wallets-wallet apps like Apple, Google and Samsung Pay allow you to store your debit or credit card on your smartphone and make payments that way. 
For higher spenders, it can be more convenient - the fact payments are authenticated with either your fingerprint or a passcode means the UK ?30 contactless limit doesn't apply.




Will Apple launch a 'metal' credit card in Britain with... Are you making a costly credit card blunder? Borrowers...
The UK came third with 5% of all transactions in 2017 made using digital wallet apps - where your card is stored digitally on your smartphone - leading all of its European neighbours

China was also previously revealed to have the second-highest contactless limit in the world, ?111.94, after Japan. 
China likely leads the pack by such a wide margin because the development of its contactless technology has gone hand-in-hand with mobile payments.

Countries with the highest eWallet usage: 
Country  % of transactions made using eWallets in 2017

China 36 

India  6 

UAE  6 

UK  5 

Germany  5 

Indonesia 5 

South Africa  5 

Global card providers Visa and Mastercard are banned in China, while only two per cent of its population own credit cards - as the process is difficult and expensive. 
By contrast, the value of Chinese mobile payments in 2017 was nearly ?12trillion, thanks to tech giants like Alibaba and Tencent.
Digital banking expert Chris Skinner told Raconteur: 'They were able to leapfrog in China because most people didn't have credit cards, debit cards or plastic of any kind.
'So when mobile payment apps first came out, they immediately caught on. 
'The market was essentially primed. It was a unique set of circumstances.'
In India, one key eWallet platform is called Paytm, valued at around $10billion. Once you transfer cash into the Paytm wallet, a QR code is used to make in-store payments. 
US payment provider PayPal actually filed a trademark case against Paytm in November 2016, claiming Paytm's logo was too similar to its own.





If Worldpay's estimates ring true, then 1.5bn people could be using eWallet apps like Alipay, Apple Pay or Paytm in just three years' time - 20% of the world's population






While you'd expect the use of mobile wallets to be dominated by younger age groups, 16.4% of those aged 45 - 54 have also dipped their toe into paying this way

Unsurprisingly, those aged 25-34 are leading the charge; making up 35 per cent of all eWallet users in 2017, while 35 - 44 years olds made up a further 24.4 per cent. 
However, those aged between 45 and 54 still made up a decent proportion of overall users - 16.4 per cent.
Lucy Crossfield of Expert Market said: 'Mobile phones are becoming the number one device for everything from chatting to friends to watching TV to paying for all of our worldly possessions, and why? 
'Because it's just so much more convenient to have everything in one place - in today's world, convenience is king.
'Granted, China is leagues ahead of the competition in terms of leaving physical wallets behind, but with projections estimating eWallet user increases of over 140million every year, it's just a matter of time before consumers the world over opt for the more streamlined convenience of digital wallets.
'Businesses better get ready, because this change is likely to hit sooner rather than later.'





EDITOR'S DEALS OF THE WEEK



Broadband




Fixed-term saving

1 year fix with competitive rate

1.71% interest and ?30 Raisin bonus [/img]


Market-leading 1.65% interest

Market-leading 1.65% interest

Two-year fixed term account [/img]


Commission-free

Share investing platform

24+ million global community [/img]


Stocks & shares Isa

?100 voucher reward for new Isas

Capital at risk. ISA rules & T&Cs apply.