After a successful trial period, The Big Issue is now rolling out contactless payments across the UK

Sellers of The Big Issue are to accept contactless payments.

Those selling the magazine will be equipped with mobile payment terminals, in a bid to boost sales as less Brits carry cash than ever before.

Russell Blackman, managing director of The Big Issue, said: “It has long been our intention to provide our vendors with the opportunity to cater for their customers’ needs and increase their ability to earn a legitimate income.

“The Big Issue looks forward to, in partnership with iZettle, rolling the initiative out nationally, in an effort to improve levels of financial inclusion for vendors, who often live lives that are blighted by poverty and who have difficulty accessing mainstream financial services and products typically offered by retail banks.”

The rollout will be taking place across the UK, including Scotland, after a successful trial period which ended earlier this year.

Vendors taking part in the trials noticed a significant uplift in sales as a result of accepting contactless payments. Two vendors reported they made around 80% of their sales via cashless payments and on average 25% of the vendors total sales were cashless payments via iZettle readers.

It is hoped that the change, which is the first initiative of its kind, will allow Big Issue vendors, who are often homeless or close to becoming homeless, to stay on top of consumer trends, and continue to make a living in an increasingly cashless society.