27 September 2006
Yesterday saw the one millionth point-of sale (POS) terminal installed in Britain, according to Apacs.
The UK payments association announced the milestone less than 20 months after it stated that spending on plastic has overtaken cash for the first time ever.
Figures from Apacs show that the number of POS terminals in the UK has increased by more than 36% since December 2000.
And since 1995 the number of outlets accepting plastic cards has increased by over 50%.
Sandra Quinn, Apacs communications director, said: "Today marks a significant milestone for the UK payments industry. More and more retailers are realising the benefits of providing their customers with the option to pay by card.
"Similarly the speed, convenience and enhanced security of plastic means people are far more willing to use plastic.
"As a result we have noticed a significant increase in the number of non-traditional outlets accepting cards, as is evidenced by the installation of Britain's millionth POS terminal at the Duke of Uke today."
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