Hampshire, UK – 7th July 2025: A new study by Juniper Research, the foremost experts in fintech and payments markets, found 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 enables quick tap-in, tap-out access for transport and events; optimising queueing while maintaining security.
Contact us to download a sample of the data available for both Contactless Payments and Digital Ticketing.
Interoperability to Power Metro Contactless Growth
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.
A2A Contactless Payments Rise; Threatening Card Networks
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 enable tap-to-pay transactions. This paves the way for direct account-to-merchant payments that bypass Apple Pay and card networks.
Research author Lorien Carter commented: “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 payments providers must differentiate through added value such as loyalty rewards, real-time spending insights, and integrated digital ticketing capabilities.”
About the Research Suites
The new data & forecasting suites offer the most comprehensive resource for the Contactless Payments & Digital Ticketing markets to date, providing 139,000 datapoints of forecasts combined, across 61 countries over five years.
Juniper Research has, for two decades, provided market intelligence and advisory services to the global financial sector, retained by many of the world’s leading banks, intermediaries, and providers.
Contact Sam Smith, PR
T: +44(0)1256 830002
E: sam.smith@juniperresearch.com
Related Research
For related research please browse our Fintech & Payments section and associated topics:
