Record levels of Bank of Ireland contactless payments in final quarter of 2025

Bank of Ireland contactless payments surged to record levels during the final quarter (Q4) of 2025, according to an analysis of customer transactions.

Q4 2025 eCommerce contactless card transactions (digital wallets, Apple Pay/Google Pay) increased by 10% when compared to Q4 2024, whilst contactless ‘tap and go’ payment levels rose by 4%.

Over 2 million contactless ‘tap and go’ payments took place on 23 December, a new all-time peak for these payments as people rushed to complete their Christmas shopping, whilst over 1.1m eCommerce contactless card transactions were recorded on 28 November – another single day record for Bank of Ireland customers.

Along with a major focus on improving digital payments capabilities, Bank of Ireland introduced SEPA Instant last year, allowing personal and business customers to make a euro payment within ten seconds, 24 hours a day, to any European bank. Verification of Payee (VoP) and Fraud Payment Interrupt (FPI) were also introduced, providing an additional layer to further strengthen payment security and enhancing the Bank’s ongoing commitment to customer fraud prevention.

Ongoing investment in digital platforms has enabled faster lending for small business and agri customers – they can apply for a loan and access funds in as little as 24 hours. And the use of AI has helped protect customers from fraud – scam detection technology using AI and machine learning assessed c.1 billion card transactions for potential fraud and prevented €9.7 million in losses in 2025.

Further technology improvements will launch in 2026, including Zippay (mobile-to-mobile payments), and the Bank’s new mobile banking app.

Ciarán Coyle, Chief Operating Officer, Bank of Ireland said: “We made considerable progress in delivering technology enhancements throughout 2025, providing greater stability and resilience and a smoother, more secure customer experience. We will continue this focus and momentum, with the rollout of our new mobile app, and other improvements including the launch of Zippay mobile-to-mobile payments.

“Later this year we will launch our new strategy, where we will outline further investments in our digital platforms, providing colleagues with the best technology to serve our customers brilliantly.”

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