Awareness of contactless payment technology is rising in the UK, according to research from YouGovs Mobile Wallet study, with 36 per cent of Brits now aware of its existence. Awareness is significantly lower for NFC technology in particular, however, at 12 per cent.

According to YouGov, marketing communications for the recent launches of contactless payment products like Barclays Pingit, Orange Quick Tap and O2 Wallet have failed to make the desired impact on the public. As it stands, just 12 per cent of the UK population intend to adopt mobile payment technology over the next two years.

Even among owners of NFC-enabled smartphones, only 16 per cent are aware they have access to the technology, and less than two per cent currently use it.

“The market is currently saying, speed and convenience is all well and good, but it has to be secure – and besides, what’s in it for me?,” says John Gilbert, consulting director for YouGov’s Technology and Telecoms sector. “Furthermore, there appears to be some confusion as to which pillar of the industry will take charge. Will it be handset manufacturers? Banks? Mobile operators? Retailers? Until issues of security and standardisation of practices and technology are resolved, future adoption will continue to stall.”

The three biggest attractions for those considering NFC are convenience (76 per cent), speed (68 per cent) and relative ease of mobile payment (65 per cent). Those put off the technology, meanwhile, most commonly cited concerns over issues of security and fraud (68 per cent), satisfaction with current payment methods (64 per cent), and concerns over malware.