Brits Forget Their PIN, as Contactless Payments Take Over

Nearly a third of young people in Britain struggle to remember their PIN as contactless payments become commonplace, new research from payments provider myPOS finds.

It reveals that 29% of Gen Z say they struggle to remember - or have completely forgotten - their PIN, highlighting how digital-first habits are shaping consumer behaviour. 

However, it isn’t just younger groups that are feeling the effects: one in five Boomers say they face the same issue as reliance on physical cards significantly declines.

Boomers are generally thought to be between the ages of 60 and 80 while Gen Z are in their teens and twenties.

This shift has been driven largely by the dominance of contactless card and mobile payments.

Over two-thirds of Brits (69%) say tapping by card, mobile phone or smartwatch is now their primary means of payment, myPOS’ research shows. 

In contrast, just 16% rely mainly on chip and PIN, and just 14% primarily use cash. 

Leaving the wallet at home

A further 10% of Brits now live entirely wallet-free, using only their mobile or smartwatch for day-to-day spending. 

Convenience-led behaviours are accelerating the decline of PIN usage across the UK. 

Nearly half of British consumers (47%) say they would go completely contactless if it meant they would have to wait less. 

Flexibility and convenience (42%) and speed (34%) remain the largest drivers behind the rise of tap-to-pay, the company finds.  

“As the UK embraces contactless and mobile payments, it’s clear that the traditional PIN is becoming less central to everyday transactions,” says Michael Ault, Country Manager at myPOS UK. 

“Businesses and payment providers should ensure security and convenience go hand-in-hand, while recognising that consumer habits are evolving rapidly.” 

MyPOS provides cross-border card payment solutions for merchants.

The company was created in 2012 when it saw a chance to offer EU merchants more freedom, thanks to changing financial legislation. 

myPOS was then presented at the huge mobile industry event in Barcelona, Mobile World Congress, as the first platform offering instant payouts into merchants’ accounts. Until then, business owners had to wait days and weeks to access their money.

myPOS made it easier for SMEs to accept card payments, avoiding the high fees and cumbersome procedures of traditional financial institutions, so it quickly gained ground in Europe, serving more than 30 countries.

The opening of myPOS’ stores followed, starting in London where the company was headquartered in 2017. 

MyPOS now has more than 15 stores in key cities and is trusted by more than 300,000 merchants.

Payments leadership

The company is led by Mario Shiliashki, who has worked in payments and fintech for an extensive period, having served in global senior leadership roles at PayPal, Mastercard and PayU. 

He led transformation, growth, M&A and exit as CEO of PayU GPO - an online payments and fintech player in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Mario has served as non-executive director on the boards of several public and private companies in the financial services and technology sectors and has been an advisor to tech-focused investment funds.

He was originally an equities analyst at Goldman Sachs in New York and a strategy consultant at Bain in London. 

myPOS won the Financial Services Award at the Global FinTech Awards 2025, held in London as part of FinTech LIVE London 2025.