travel time payments uk

If someone travels for their job - Working time rules

• Understanding the Working Time Regulations
• The 48-hour weekly maximum
• Being on call
• Night workers

If someone travels for their job

• Jobs with different rules
• Agreeing a change – relevant agreements

In some cases, travel time to and from work counts as working time.

If an employee has a fixed place of work

If an employee has a fixed place of work (such as an office they go to every day), their regular travel time to and from work does not usually count as working time.

If an employer wants to count this travel time as working time, they can.

Travel time while at work will usually count as working time, for example when travelling:

• from one client to the next
• from an office to a meeting elsewhere

Find out about the maximum hours an employee can work in a week

If the employee has no fixed place of work

Some jobs have no fixed place of work. These are often jobs where the employee spends a lot of time visiting customers or clients. People who do this work are sometimes known as 'peripatetic workers'. 

These types of jobs can include:

• care workers
• plumbers and other tradespeople
• teachers who work at different schools over the working day
• travelling salespeople

Travel between home and work is likely to count as working time for peripatetic workers. This is because during this time, the person is classed as doing work for their employer – for example, the employer may change or add tasks.

Pay when travel time counts as working time

When travel time counts as working time, the pay an employee gets depends on the terms of the employment contract. 

When calculating pay the employer must follow the law on the National Minimum Wage. It includes different rules on how working time affects minimum wage calculations.

• use the minimum wage calculator on GOV.UK
• find out more about how minimum wage is calculated on GOV.UK

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Small Business UK

Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Do I need to pay employee for travelling time?

One of my employees, who travels 50 miles each way to work, is arguing that he should get paid for travelling time. How should I proceed?

Further reading.

How to deal with a furloughed employee who refuses to return to work

Andrew Willis

Andrew Willis is an Associate Director and head of legal at Croner. More by Andrew Willis

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Managing business travel expenses

Guide to hmrc subsistence allowance & expenses, what is a subsistence allowance, how do hmrc subsistence rates work.

• The cost of food or drink must be incurred after the business trip has started
• The trip must be beyond their usual commute and be done as part of official business
• The journey must take the employee away from their normal place of work for 5 hours or more

Is meal allowance taxable?

• a meal or beverage is not purchased
• the meal does not constitute additional expenditure
• the “staying with friends or relatives allowance” is claimed
• meals have been taken at home
• meals are provided during a training course, conference or similar activity
• meals are provided on the train or plane and included in the ticket cost

What are the HMRC domestic subsistence allowance rates?

• £5 for travel of 5 hours or more (£10 supplement if travel is ongoing at 8pm)
• £10 for travel of 10 hours or more (£10 supplement if travel is ongoing at 8pm)
• £25 for travel of 15 hours or more (and ongoing at 8pm)

Overnight accommodation rate UK

Meal allowance rates overseas, how does a business report subsistence allowance spend.

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Paid Travel Time For Work

Written by [email protected]

In many industries workers do not have a fixed or regular place of work, instead travelling directly from home to various locations, such as customer premises, suppliers and events, etc.

Under the European Working Time Directive, “working time” covers any time when the worker is working, at the employer’s disposal and carrying out their activity or duties. The Working Time Directive is implemented in the UK via The Working Time Regulations (WTR) and neither provides any guidance on whether travel to and from work or between places of work should be classed as working time.

Paid travel time for work

In order to assess whether time is “working time”, the following three questions must be asked:

• Is the individual working?
• Is the individual carrying out his duties?
• Is the individual at their employer’s disposal?

The lack of guidance regarding the issue of what does and does not “constitute” working time has led to widespread confusion and litigation, particularly as workers have the right to be paid for the time they spend travelling between different assignments during their working day.

The confusion in this area was highlighted in a recent poll commissioned by Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) , which found that 4 in 10 workers wrongly believe they are not entitled to a minimum wage for the time they spend travelling between assignments. This misconception was more prevalent among older male workers.

As this issue continues to be reported in the media and press, workers are likely to check their payslips and seek advice in relation to their position. It is vital that employers are aware of the current legal position in relation to travel time and working time to ensure compliance with wage rules.

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What's the Best Way to Bring Spending Money to the UK?

A Look at the Pros and Cons for Convenience, Value and Spending Power

Yagi Studio/Getty Images 

The pound Sterling (£), sometimes just called " Sterling ", is the official currency of the UK . You can change your money into pounds in different ways, but you can't actually spend your own national currency, not even Euros , without exchanging it first.

As soon as you start planning your trip, start thinking about how you'll handle your spending money in the UK. Leave yourself enough time to consider the convenience, security and value of various options and to open new bank or credit card accounts if necessary.

These are the choices:

1. credit and debit cards - the easiest and the cheapest.

These are, hands down, the cheapest and most convenient way to pay for things and to get cash in the UK as long as you use them correctly. Consider the pros and cons.

• Credit card companies apply a wholesale/interbank exchange rate in effect when your payment is processed. The rate will go up and down but it will always be a commercial rate, available to banks and large organizations—much better than the retail currency exchange rates available over the counter to consumers. So you get more for your money.
• Most card companies do not add additional transaction fees on purchases of goods (though they do when you buy cash).
• If you pay your credit card bills before interest is added on, or make sure you have enough money in your debit account to cover your spending, you won't be subject to any extra charges.
• They're widely accepted—You can pay for just about anything with a debit card in the UK, from a carton of milk and the day's newspapers or beer in a pub, to large expensive goods. In the UK, people can even pay their taxes and electricity bills with a debit card.
• Cash machines, or ATMs are everywhere. Most village high streets will have a selection of automated teller machines. They're available at petrol (gas) stations, in cinemas, at banks and in some shops. This makes getting some cash at any hour of day or night very easy.
• Some cards are not recognized or widely accepted in the UK. You may have difficulty using Diners Club and Discover cards. American Express cards are sometimes refused. Stick with the big two—VISA and MasterCharge—and you shouldn't have any problems.
• Some merchants may require a minimum purchase to accept a credit card. This is especially true in small, local Mom and Pop stores.
• Bank charges may apply. Bank, building society and post office cash machines in the UK (which is most of them) do not apply an extra charge or commission getting cash. But your own bank or card company probably will. It's worth shopping around for the lowest currency transaction charge because this varies from card to card and between issuing banks. You might be charged anywhere from $1.50 to $3.00 or more per foreign currency cash transaction.
• A small number of cash machines do charge for withdrawals and are worth avoiding. Cash machines in small convenience stores and at some motorway rest stops may be part of commercial networks that add extra fees—a minimum of about £1.50 but sometimes a percentage of your transaction. Try to avoid using these machines except in an emergency. Instead look for ATMs associated with the UK's big banks, with building societies (like savings banks) or with leading shops (Harrods,  Marks & Spencer ) and supermarkets. 
• You may need to get a new card to comply with European chip-and-pin standards (more on that below)​.
• One word to the wise —Use your credit card to buy things but use a debit or ATM card for getting cash from ATMs. When you use a credit card for shopping, interest is not charged until after the payment deadline (usually 30 days or the end of the month). But, when you use a credit card at a cash machine, interest starts accruing immediately. With a debit card, as long as you have money in the bank to cover your spending, no interest is charged.

The Chip-and-Pin Issue

The UK, along with most of the rest of the world, has been using chip-and-pin cards for more than a decade. The cards have an embedded microchip and customers are issued a unique, 4-digit PIN number they have to enter in ATMs or at point of sale machines to use their cards.

The USA has been the one holdout, relying instead on cards with magnetic stripes that usually require a signature. All that is finally beginning to change. The EMV (Europay Mastercard VISA) group, who developed the global, open chip and pin smart card technology, have been trying to persuade American merchants and card issuers to change to chip and pin for a long time. In October 2015, to force the issue, they changed their rules. Since then, if a card is used fraudulently, merchants or card issuers who do not participate in the chip and pin protocol will be held liable for the cost of the fraud.

Because of this, EMV chip-and-pin smart cards are becoming more widely available in the USA and older style cards are gradually being replaced to meet the global standard.

What This Means for You

If you already have a chip-and-pin smart card, you won't run into any difficulty using it where your brand of card is accepted. The card reading machines used in shops, banks and post offices will still have a magnetic stripe reader so you can swipe your card on the top or side of the device. 

But if your card requires a signature (either mag stripe and signature or chip and signature cards) you will have problems—especially when no human cashier is present to accept your signature. Without a chip, your card will be rejected by ticket machines (at train stations, for example) and by automated petrol (gasoline) pumps. And even with a chip, you will need a PIN number to use your card with these machines.

To avoid hassles:

• All bank cards and credit cards have a 4-digit PIN number, even if your bank or card issuer has not given it to you. Ask for one for each of your cards before traveling. Then you'll be able to use your card in an ATM or swipe it at a point-of-sale terminal and authorise the transaction with your PIN number.
• Get yourself a chip-and-pin card. Most of the bigger American banks are now offering them or replacing their customers' existing chip and signature cards with chip and pin cards. If your bank does not yet have them available, open an account at a bank that can give you one. 

And the Contactless Issue

Most debit and credit cards issued to UK consumers have a contactless payment feature. If the card has it, there is a symbol that looks like sound waves printed on the card, as pictured above. These cards can be used for payments simply by tapping them on terminals similarly equipped. Very conveniently, these cards can be used just like Oyster Cards for access to London Underground, London buses. London Overground and Docklands Light Railway. Some mobile phone apps that display the contactless logo can also be used to pay small amounts. 

If you are visiting the UK from Canada, Australia or a number of European countries, you may already have one of these contactless cards and you can use them in the UK wherever the contactless symbol is displayed on the payment terminal. As of 2018, US banks began to offer contactless credit and debit cards in partnership with international card issuers. Chase, for example, has offered this form of payment to its customers since February 2018. If you can, get your hands on one of these as its the most convenient way to pay small amounts. If you are able to use a contactless card, keep in mind though, that your transaction will still be subject to whatever foreign exchange transaction fees your bank or card issuer charges.

If you have an iPhone, you may be able to use Apple Pay wherever contactless payments are accepted and for more than the £30 contactless limit. The Apple Pay UK site has a list of some of the main businesses that accept this form of payment at point of sale. 

Traveler's checks.

Traveler's checks were once the gold standard when it came to carrying travel money. And perhaps, in some parts of the world they may still be a safe option, but they are currently the most expensive and most inconvenient option for the UK.

• They are very secure—As long as you keep a record of the check numbers (separate from the checks themselves), and as long as you keep track of the emergency number to call in the country you are visiting, you can get lost or stolen checks replaced quickly, at no extra cost.
• They are available in several currencies including dollars, Euros and pounds sterling.
• They are expensive, possibly the most expensive way to take money abroad in fact. First off, you will usually be charged a fee of one percent of the total value of the checks you buy. If you buy them in a foreign currency—in other words you spend dollars to buy travelers checks in pounds sterling—the seller's retail exchange rate will apply and you may also pay a commission for the currency conversion. If you buy them in dollars, planning to exchange them for local currency when you arrive, you will still be stuck with accepting a retail exchange rate (usually much less advantageous than the interbank rate for the day) and probably a foreign currency commission too.
• They are very inconvenient. In the UK, with the exception of tourist magnets like Harrods , and very expensive hotels, almost none of the shops, restaurants and hotels accept them. In fact, very few stores in the UK accept any kind of check at all. So you will have to seek out bureaux de changes, banks and post offices—during weekday working hours, to cash them. Bureau de change outlets, the European name for commercial currency exchanges, are profit making businesses and usually offer the worst exchange rates. And banks will only cash traveler's checks if they have what is known as a correspondent relationship with the bank that issued them.

3. Prepaid Currency Cards

One way around the chip-and-pin issue is to buy yourself a prepaid currency card, such as the Travelex Cash Passport or the Virgin Money Prepaid MasterCard. These are cards you prepay in either your own currency or the currency you want to spend. Some can be charged up with several currencies at once. The cards are associated with one of the major international card organizations—usually VISA or MasterCard, are embedded with chip-and-pin technology and can be used wherever those credit cards are normally accepted.

• An easy way to chip-and-pin
• Easier to control your spending. You charge up the card with exactly what you want to spend and then use it up like cash.
• Security is assured as long as you protect your PIN number.
• Up front purchase price and higher than average ATM cash fees can add to costs
• Some can only be charged up with additional funds in person in a branch of the business that sold it to you, in your own country.
• Hidden charges—if you leave a balance on the card, planning to use it for another trip abroad or other special purchases, you may find that balance nibbled away by monthly "inactivity" charges. Read the fine print.

​ And one last warning about prepaid cards:

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE these cards to guarantee your hotel or rental car bill or to buy petrol from automated pumps. In these situations, an amount - which can be £200 or £300—will be put on hold to guarantee that you will pay your bill. The problem is, even if you don't spend that much money, it can take as long as 30 days for those funds to be released. Meanwhile, you can't use the money you've put on the card for the rest of your trip. Use your credit card for the guarantees, then settle the bills with the prepaid card.

Then, of course, there's always good old cash—or at least there used to be (see below). You'll want to have some local currency in your wallet for tips , cab fares and small purchases. How much you carry depends on your own spending habits and confidence in carrying cash. As a rule of thumb, plan on carrying about as much in pounds sterling as you might carry in your own currency when at home.

There is a catch. In the UK, espcially the big cities, a small but growing number of businesses—notably cafes and bars—are refusing to accept cash and will only accept card payments. This is still pretty rare, but we were shocked in November, 2018, to offer a £10 note to pay for a coffee and croissant only to be shown a sign that said the restaurant did not accept cash. These days, an internationally accepted credit card is still the safest kind of travel money to have.

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What travelers should know about the UK's new entry fee

Jun 15, 2023 • 4 min read

The UK is introducing a pre-travel authorization system © Getty Images

If you have plans to travel to any country within the UK ( England , Scotland , Wales or Northern Ireland ), you'll need to pay an entry fee starting in 2024.

The new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) , as it's called, will cost about £10 ($12.50 )  and will be fully implemented at the end of 2024 as the UK continues to digitalize its border control systems. The ETA will require some visitors to apply for an electronic pass to enter the UK for tourism, short-term business, transit and other common travel purposes.

It's a completely electronic system, based on the  United States' ESTA system , so you won't have to get bogged down on paperwork. Just as British travelers need to sign up for ESTA online before entering the US, Americans will likely be required to do the same for travel to the UK. 

So, how will the ETA work when it's implemented? It's not yet clear exactly what screening criteria will be used to grant an ETA but passengers will more than likely be asked to register passport information and answer a series of security questions online to determine eligibility.

Assuming you are successful, you will be issued with a pass which, combined with your passport, entitles you to visit the UK for a specific period.

Do you need a visa to go to the United Kingdom?

Here's what we know so far.

Who will need an ETA to enter the UK?

According to the government, the ETA applies to people who are eligible to travel to the UK without a visa. So that is anyone arriving for tourism purposes, visiting family or friends, or traveling to the UK for business or study for up to six months. It also applies to people eligible for the Creative Worker visa concession  and anyone transiting through the UK .

The UK is rolling out the new system in phases. Starting November 15, it will apply to visitors from Qatar. Then from February 22, 2024, it will be extended to citizens from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The UK government has not listed additional countries included in the scheme but it is expected to be applied to all foreign visitors who currently have visa-free access to the UK, such as European Union citizens and people from the US, Australia, Hong Kong, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and more before the end of 2024.

Irish citizens are excluded from the ETA requirement due to the Common Travel Agreement between the UK and Ireland.

Is the ETA a visa?

No. Nationals from some countries will still be required to apply for a visa and visa applications will continue to operate as before. The ETA is a pre-authorization system for travel that will apply to people from countries that currently have visa-free travel agreements with the UK. 

"The scheme will give the UK more control of our borders, allowing us to block threats from entering the UK while also providing individuals and carriers with more assurance at an earlier point in time about their ability to travel to the UK," the government stated.

How much will it cost to apply?

It will cost £10 to apply, which works out to about $12.50 or €8.50.

How soon before traveling should I apply for my ETA?

The ETA will take up to 72 hours to be approved. ETAs will be valid for visa-free travel for up to six months in the UK.

How long will my ETA be valid for?

Two years — so you'll need to reapply every two years for renewed access to the UK or whenever your passport expires.

Will my ETA grant me access to European countries?

No, the ETA is valid for entry to the UK only. If you are a non-EU citizen and you're eligible to visit the European Schengen Zone without a visa for a short-term stay, you'll soon need to apply for a similar permit. That's called an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) and it is expected to be rolled out early next year. That one will cost about €7 (or $7.50). As the UK is no longer part of the EU, British travelers will also have to apply for an ETIAS to travel to much of Europe when the new system is in place. 

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UK’s BNPL for Travel Expands as it Gears Up for Looming Regulation

Tough economic times have made paying for goods in several installments very popular, boosting the buy now, pay later (BNPL) trend around the globe. When it comes to the travel industry, the service has rapidly caught on with consumers who are looking for travel-centric flexible payment options for often expensive flight tickets.

London-based payment provider Fly Now Pay Later has been catering to this need since it launched in 2015, and is looking to further expand its business with the $75 million it has raised . The round brings the total fundraising by the British FinTech company to $150 million.

Fly Now Pay Later enables customers to pay the cost of a trip in up to 12 monthly installments and is focused on key BNPL markets including the U.K., European Union and the U.S., the world’s largest travel market.

Read more: The Buy Now, Pay Later Movement Taking Off In Travel

“The US, which we entered in 2020, purposely formed a big part of our resilience plan as domestic leisure travel has been less affected than in Europe. And will continue to be a key focus as we enter 2022,” company founder and CEO Jasper Dykes said about the raise.

Dykes added: “There’s always a temptation to put the brakes on in times of significant headwinds, but with consumer expectations continuing to shift from traditional lending towards alternative convenient digital experiences, we upheld our investment commitments into developing our technology and threw ourselves into bolstering our partnership network in the states, which is really gaining momentum.”

See also: 43% of US Adults Interested In BNPL for ‘Big Ticket’ Travel, Home Repair, Medical Purchases

Despite the pandemic-induced disruption in the travel sector, the alternative lender has recovered well and is seeking to further fuel its global expansion as commercial aviation worldwide, particularly in the U.S., returns to pre-pandemic levels.

Last year, the firm launched several commercial partnerships including with Malaysia Airlines and the airline payments network Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) dedicated to EU merchants.

The company also inked a deal with U.S.-based financial services organization and Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider Cross River Bank, and through its collaboration ChargeAfter it has become the first travel-related installment service on the global platform of BNPL and point-of-sale (POS) financing for merchants.

UK Edges Closer to BNPL Regulation

In the United Kingdom, the use of BNPL has boomed in the last few years, nearly quadrupling in 2020 to 2.7 billion pounds (about $3.6 billion) in transactions, according to official data from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

Read also: UK Lawmaker Calls for Urgent Regulation of Buy Now Pay Later Providers

This has prompted repeated calls for BNPL regulation in the country, with U.K. parliamentarian Stella Creasy recently saying that the failure of the government to act quickly will have “very severe repercussions” for consumers.

The publication of an independent review in February 2021 also warned that the sector represented a “significant potential consumer harm,” prompting the U.K. Treasury to open a public consultation setting out plans for the regulation in October, ahead of a separate consultation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to develop the rules.  

Read more: UK Closes BNPL Consultation, Eyes New Regulation in 2022

That consultation closed last week, and the Treasury will now review the information it gathered from relevant stakeholders and the public in order to design the scope of the regulation and ensure that consumer protection is made a priority.

Companies like Fly Now Pay Later will no doubt be targeted, but Dykes said he embraces regulation of the sector. “The category is experiencing tremendous growth and with that we also welcome the FCA’s recent decision to regulate the sector in the UK to facilitate its continuing maturity,” he said in the statement.

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Majority of homecare staff are unpaid for travel between visits

Employers must pay for time between visits to ensure fair wages

Three quarters (75%) of care staff who look after people at home are  not  being paid for the time it takes them to travel between appointments, says UNISON today ( Thursday) .

The union says the finding, from a survey of more than 300 domiciliary care workers acros s England,  reveals employers are effectively breaking minimum wage laws.

As a result, s taff are hundreds of pounds short each month . This is  money they can little afford to lose from their already rock-bottom wages and is rightfully theirs, says UNISON.

Homecare workers spend almost a fifth (19%) of their working day travelling between people’s homes*. UNISON says most are paid at or just above the minimum wage, but this hourly amount is dramatically reduced if their  employer does not pay travel time.

UNISON  is calling for travel time payment to become a contractual requirement. The union also wants employers to provide proper evidence for their  employees, such as putting details of the reimbursement on pay slips.

One care worker said they had done a 12-hour day including time travelling between appointments, but their employer only paid them for 9 hours. Another in a rural area said they had to drive for at least 20 minutes between each care visit.

The impact on care staff denied this money is considerable, says UNISON. Some say they cannot afford to cover bills, are taking anti-depressants for stress and feel totally demorali s ed.

The union says vacancy levels  across care  – currently 165,000 – will simply  increase unless ministers act now to eradicate the widespread practice of not paying travel time. Many who took part in the survey said they are looking for work in other sectors where  they’d be paid for all the hours they spend at work.

Recommendations from the Low Pay Commission and the Director of Labour Market Enforcement to improve the situation have been ignored by ministers , says the union.

Instead, the government expects individual care workers – often on zero-hours contracts – to tell HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if they believe they ‘ re not being paid properly.

However, just 18% of workers in the survey were provided with pay slips  accurately  detailing their time spent travelling and what, if anything, they had been paid for this.

In the past 10 years, n o care employer has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service for failing to keep sufficient minimum wage records, according to HMRC data given to UNISON.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea  said: “Both care staff and those they look after are the victims of this pay scandal.  Vulnerable people suffer when their already rationed care visits are cut short or delayed.

“UNISON has been highlighting this exploitation for over a decade. Yet the government has responded with inaction and indifference.

“These appalling working practices must be tackled urgently if more people are to be encouraged to work in a sector desperately short of staff. Disabled and elderly people receiving care support will want an end to the exploitation of those looking after them. When it does, everyone will benefit.”

Notes to editors: –* B ased on data from the UK Homecare Association , which represents care providers. – A total of 310 homecare workers took part in the survey ,  conducted online  in February. – A worker on the national living wage rate of £10.42, who works a shift lasting eight hours but loses a fifth of that in unpaid travel, would lose roughly £83 during a five-day week, and more than £330 in a month. – Case studies (names have been changed): Louise who works in the East of England says: “No travel time pay puts immense pressure on me. I work in a rural area and often there’s a 20-minute or more drive between house calls , which isn’t  taken into account.  There’s constant pressure from the office and the people I support because  I’m running late.” Sam , who works in the South West , says: “I’m sometimes out from 6.20am until 9.45pm without enough of a break to go home. It’s a long day, very tiring and sometimes stressful.  I have no  quality time with my partner – it’s draining.” Sandra who works in Yorkshire says: “I’m only paid for the time spent in someone’s  home. I’m out working eight hours minimum but get paid for six This dramatically reduces my hourly wage. I’ve thought long and hard about going into a different sector to get a fairer wage.” – Today is the third day of UNISON’s annual conference, which this year is in Liverpool. The event runs until Friday. Further details about the four-day event can be found   here.  –  U NISON is the UK’s largest union and the largest union in the NHS and in the ambulance sector, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts: Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E:  [email protected] Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E:  [email protected]

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Digital payments landscape in the United Kingdom (UK) - statistics & facts

Contactless payments and the transition from cards to wallets, uk research into digital payments is not necessarily for consumers, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Number of digital payments worldwide 2013-2021 with forecasts to 2027, by region

Credit card penetration in 161 countries worldwide 2011, 2014, 2017, 2021

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) share in e-commerce in 41 countries worldwide 2016-2023

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Annual level of cash payments in the UK 2000-2021

Annual number of contactless card transactions in the UK 2014-2022

Most used e-commerce payment methods in the UK 2016-2023, with 2027 forecast

Further recommended statistics

Market share.

• Premium Statistic Annual level of cash payments in the UK 2000-2021
• Premium Statistic Annual currency in circulation (CIC) to GDP ratio of the UK 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Most used in-store (POS) payment methods in the UK 2017-2023, with 2027 forecast
• Premium Statistic Payments at points of sale by type in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Most used e-commerce payment methods in the UK 2016-2023, with 2027 forecast
• Premium Statistic Most common online payments by type in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Penetration of crypto as a means of payment in selected countries worldwide in 2023

Share of cash estimate at point of sale (POS) in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2021

Annual currency in circulation (CIC) to GDP ratio of the UK 2012-2022

Share of currency in circulation (CIC) to the nominal GDP of the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022

Most used in-store (POS) payment methods in the UK 2017-2023, with 2027 forecast

Market share of cash, credit cards, and other payment methods at point of sale (POS) in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2017 to 2023, with a forecast for 2027

Payments at points of sale by type in the UK 2024

Payments at points of sale by type in the UK as of March 2024

Market share of cash, credit cards, and other payment methods during online shopping in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2016 to 2023, with a forecast for 2027

Most common online payments by type in the UK 2024

Most common online payments by type in the UK as of March 2024

Penetration of crypto as a means of payment in selected countries worldwide in 2023

Market share of cryptocurrency compared to other payment methods in selected countries across the world as of 2023

Penetration

• Premium Statistic Penetration rate of credit cards in the United Kingdom 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic Penetration rate of debit cards in the United Kingdom 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic Quarterly adoption of mobile payments at POS in the UK 2018-2023
• Premium Statistic Mobile payments usage by situation in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Payment types accepted by all e-commerce vendors in the UK in 2022 and 2024
• Premium Statistic Annual crypto adoption development in the UK 2020-2023, by metric
• Premium Statistic Domestic and cross-border e-commerce revenue share 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Quarterly market share of outgoing digital remittances in the UK 2016-2023

Penetration rate of credit cards in the United Kingdom 2014-2029

Penetration rate of credit cards in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2029

Penetration rate of debit cards in the United Kingdom 2014-2029

Penetration rate of debit cards in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2029

Quarterly adoption of mobile payments at POS in the UK 2018-2023

Mobile payments usage performed with any mobile device at POS in the United Kingdom from 2018 to 4th quarter of 2023

Mobile payments usage by situation in the UK 2024

Mobile payments usage by situation in the UK in 2024

Payment types accepted by all e-commerce vendors in the UK in 2022 and 2024

Share of companies that accept selected digital payments for all types of e-commerce in the United Kingdom (UK) as of February 2024

Annual crypto adoption development in the UK 2020-2023, by metric

Crypto Adoption Index ranking of the United Kingdom (UK) from 2020 to 2023, by metric

Domestic and cross-border e-commerce revenue share 2023, by country

Distribution of domestic and cross-border e-commerce revenues in 2023, by country

Quarterly market share of outgoing digital remittances in the UK 2016-2023

Share of digitally initiated remittances in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2nd quarter 2016 to 3rd quarter 2023, based on remittance outflow towards any other country

Biggest brands

• Premium Statistic Biggest international and domestic payment card schemes in the UK 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Biggest contactless payment brands at POS in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Biggest e-commerce payment brands in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Biggest buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps in the UK 2015-2023, based on downloads
• Premium Statistic Biggest cryptocurrency wallets in the UK 2015-2023, based on downloads
• Premium Statistic Biggest real-time payments brands worldwide in 2022, based on number of transactions
• Premium Statistic Quarterly market share of outgoing remittance brands in the UK 2011-2023

Biggest international and domestic payment card schemes in the UK 2016-2022

Market share of payment card brands - Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or in-market local card schemes - in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2016 to 2022

Biggest contactless payment brands at POS in the UK 2024

Biggest contactless payment brands at POS in the UK as of March 2024

Biggest e-commerce payment brands in the UK 2024

Biggest e-commerce payment brands in the UK as of March 2024

Biggest buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps in the UK 2015-2023, based on downloads

Biggest buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1st quarter of 2015 to 4th quarter of 2023, by number of downloads

Biggest cryptocurrency wallets in the UK 2015-2023, based on downloads

Biggest wallets for cryptocurrency storage in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1st quarter of 2015 to 4th quarter of 2023, by number of downloads

Biggest real-time payments brands worldwide in 2022, based on number of transactions

Brands with the highest number of real-time (instant) payment transactions worldwide in 2022 (in billions)

Quarterly market share of outgoing remittance brands in the UK 2011-2023

Biggest brands for remittances in the United Kingdom (UK) from 1st quarter 2011 to 3rd quarter 2023, based on remittance outflow towards any other country

• Premium Statistic Annual credit card and debit cards issued in the UK 2000-2022
• Premium Statistic Triennial credit card penetration in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic
• Premium Statistic Triennial debit card penetration in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic
• Premium Statistic Preference for payment by smartwatch in the UK in 2023, by age and gender
• Premium Statistic Top 10 countries worldwide based on number of buy now, pay later (BNPL) users 2022
• Premium Statistic Quarterly number of crypto users in the UK 2021-2022
• Premium Statistic Crypto adoption in the UK as of November 2022, by age and gender

Annual credit card and debit cards issued in the UK 2000-2022

Total number of credit cards and debit cards in circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2022

Triennial credit card penetration in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic

Share of individuals who own a credit card in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021 with a forecast for 2024, by age, gender, and income level

Triennial debit card penetration in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic

Share of individuals who own a debit card in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021 with a forecast for 2024, by age, gender, and income level

Preference for payment by smartwatch in the UK in 2023, by age and gender

Share of respondents in the United Kingdom who prefer to pay with a smartwatch over cash, card, mobile phone, or biometric payment method from 2nd quarter of 2022 to 2nd quarter of 2023

Top 10 countries worldwide based on number of buy now, pay later (BNPL) users 2022

Leading countries in the world with the highest number of buy now, pay later (BNPL) users as of 2022 (in millions)

Quarterly number of crypto users in the UK 2021-2022

Estimated number of people who hold or trade cryptocurrency in the United Kingdom (UK) from 4th quarter of 2021 to 4th quarter of 2022

Crypto adoption in the UK as of November 2022, by age and gender

Crypto ownership among consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) in the three months prior to November 2022, by age and gender

Transaction value

• Premium Statistic Annual credit card spending in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Annual debit card spending in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Annual contactless spending in the UK 2014-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Global QR payment market size in 2020 with forecasts to 2025, by region
• Premium Statistic Annual buy now, pay later (BNPL) spending in the UK in 2023, with a 2029 forecast
• Premium Statistic Annual instant payment spending in the UK 2008-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Buy now, pay later (BNPL) statistics in the UK as of 2020

Annual credit card spending in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD

Value of credit card transactions for payments in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022 (in million GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Annual debit card spending in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD

Value of debit card transactions for payments in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022 (in million GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Annual contactless spending in the UK 2014-2022, in local currency and USD

Value of overall contactless transactions for payments in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2014 to 2022 (in million GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Global QR payment market size in 2020 with forecasts to 2025, by region

Market size of QR code transactions in various regions worldwide in 2020 with forecasts from 2021 to 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Annual buy now, pay later (BNPL) spending in the UK in 2023, with a 2029 forecast

Estimated transaction value of buy now, pay later (BNPL) in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023, with forecasts for 2024 and 2029 (in million U.S. dollars)

Annual instant payment spending in the UK 2008-2022, in local currency and USD

Value of real time payments in the United Kingdom (UK) with local scheme Faster Payments (FP) from 2008 to 2022 (in million GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) statistics in the UK as of 2020

Estimate of buy now, pay later (BNPL) lending in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020

Number of transactions

• Premium Statistic Annual number of credit card transactions in the UK 2012-2022, per capita
• Premium Statistic Size of a credit card transaction in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Annual number of debit card transactions in the UK 2012-2022, per capita
• Premium Statistic Size of a debit card transaction in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
• Premium Statistic Top 10 countries worldwide with highest number of contactless card transactions 2022
• Premium Statistic Annual number of real-time payments in the UK in 2023, with a 2028 forecast
• Premium Statistic Annual number of instant payment transactions in the UK 2008-2022

Annual number of credit card transactions in the UK 2012-2022, per capita

Total number of credit card transactions processed for payments in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022

Size of a credit card transaction in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD

Average value of a credit card transaction in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022 (in GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Annual number of debit card transactions in the UK 2012-2022, per capita

Total number of debit card transactions processed for payments in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022

Size of a debit card transaction in the UK 2012-2022, in local currency and USD

Average value of a debit card transaction in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022 (in GBP, and estimates in U.S. dollars)

Top 10 countries worldwide with highest number of contactless card transactions 2022

Leading countries in the world with the highest number of contactless card transactions as of 2022 (in billions)

Annual number of real-time payments in the UK in 2023, with a 2028 forecast

Total number of real-time (instant) payments in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2023, with a forecast for 2028

Annual number of instant payment transactions in the UK 2008-2022

Total number of real-time payment transactions in the United Kingdom (UK) with local scheme Faster Payments (FP) from 2008-2022 (in millions)

Miscellaneous

• Premium Statistic Annual number of POS terminals in the UK 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Triennial unbanked population share in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic
• Premium Statistic Internet users in the United Kingdom 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic Mobile internet usage reach in the United Kingdom 2014-2029
• Premium Statistic Online retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2022
• Premium Statistic Main cross-border online shopping markets in the UK 2022, by market share
• Premium Statistic Annual value of outgoing and incoming remittance flow in the UK 2021, by country

Annual number of POS terminals in the UK 2012-2022

Total number of POS terminals reported in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022

Triennial unbanked population share in the UK 2011-2024, by demographic

Share of unbanked individuals in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021 with a forecast for 2024, by age, gender, and income level

Internet users in the United Kingdom 2014-2029

Number of internet users in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2029 (in millions)

Mobile internet usage reach in the United Kingdom 2014-2029

Mobile internet usage penetration in the United Kingdom from 2014 to 2029

Online retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2022

Value of online retail sales in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2022 (in billion GBP)

Main cross-border online shopping markets in the UK 2022, by market share

Leading markets of origin of cross-border online purchases in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2022, by market share

Annual value of outgoing and incoming remittance flow in the UK 2021, by country

Value of remittances sent from/to the United Kingdom (UK) to/from other countries or territories worldwide in 2021 (in million U.S. dollars)

Further reports

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Homecare Workers' Travel Time

Commenting on an enquiry made under the Freedom of Information Act to local councils in England by Unison on the commissioning of homecare services (note 1), United Kingdom Homecare Association notes the following:

Payment of at least the National Minimum Wage for all working time, including applicable travel time, is the law.

UKHCA is pleased to see that Unison has clearly identified the commissioning and procurement practices of local councils and the underfunding of contracts as a major issue for the homecare sector.

Fewer than 2% of employers receive a separate payment from councils to cover careworkers' travel time or travel costs, which have to be met from the hourly rate they receive for delivering care (note 2).

Unison has echoed previous work undertaken by UKHCA to make councils more responsible for the prices it pays for homecare. UKHCA 's Minimum Price for Homecare suggests that this should be at least £15.74/hour, if providers are paid solely for the time workers spend delivering care (note 3).

Payment of at least the Minimum Wage is less an issue about whether workers receive a separate travel time payment, as suggested by Unison, but whether councils pay enough for employers to meet all their legal obligations, including workers' pay.

Regrettably some of Unison's proposals, if adopted, would add unnecessary cost to already constrained public sector budgets, which would be better invested in front-line services. Local authorities are neither sufficiently skilled nor resourced to police the Minimum Wage, which is the responsibility of HMRC. It would be more effective for councils to ensure they cover providers' actual costs of delivering care through proper financial modelling to ensure high quality services and pay workers at or above Minimum Wage for working time.

UKHCA already provides a Minimum Wage Toolkit for homecare providers to assist them interpret the National Minimum Wage regulations correctly, given the complex nature of homecare working patterns (note 4). We are pleased to see that statutory guidance to support the Care Act 2014, issued by Government to councils in England, clarifies the obligations of councils on their responsibilities (Note 5).

Notes for Editors

1. According to information provided to UKHCA , 6.54% (11 councils) responding to Unison's enquiry stated that they made a contractual condition on their homecare providers to pay their care workers for their travel time. 21% (36 councils) said they undertook some form of scrutiny of pay records or other documentary evidence to check compliance with National Minimum Wage compliance.

2. Angel, C (2012) Care is not a commodity, page 39. www.ukhca.co.uk/downloads.aspx?ID=356

3. Angel, C (2014) Minimum Price for Homecare. www.ukhca.co.uk/downloads.aspx?ID=434

4.  UKHCA National Minimum Wage Toolkit: www.ukhca.co.uk/downloads.aspx?ID=422

5. Department of Health (2014) Care and Support Statutory Guidance, Issued under the Care Act 2014. Paragraphs 4.30-4.32. www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/366104/43380_23902777_Care_Act_Book.pdf

6. United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) is the professional association for more than 2,200 domiciliary care providers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

7.  UKHCA ’s mission, as a member-led professional association, is to promote high quality, sustainable care services so that people can continue to live at home and in their local community. We do this by campaigning, and through leadership and support to social care providers.

8.  UKHCA has a vetting procedure for its members, all of whom agree to abide by the Association’s Code of Practice, which can be found at www.ukhca.co.uk/codeofpractice.aspx .

9.  UKHCA represents 33% of independent and voluntary sector providers in the UK, and estimates that its member organisations employ over 119,000 homecare workers, who deliver over 2.79 million hours of care per week to around 166,000 service users, valued at £1.62 billion per annum.

10. There are over 9,100 registered homecare providers across the UK, the majority of which (84%) are in the independent and voluntary sectors. We estimate that these organisations employ over 438,000 homecare workers, who deliver over 6.29 million hours of care per week to around 536,000 service users, valued at £5.2 billion per annum.

11. Homecare encompasses provision of personal care, to people in their own homes. For many, homecare is the alternative of choice for people who would otherwise need to move into residential accommodation.

12. The majority of homecare is funded by the state (usually by local council social services departments, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), or Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland). However, homecare services are largely delivered by independent and voluntary sector providers working under contracts with the statutory sector.

13. Regularly updated statistical information about homecare services in all four UK administrations is available from "An Overview of the UK Domiciliary Care Sector" at www.ukhca.co.uk/downloads.aspx?id=109 .

14. Interviewees from UKHCA for broadcast media are available on request.

15. For further information please contact:

Colin Angel, Policy and Campaigns Director United Kingdom Homecare Association Ltd Sutton Business Centre, Restmor Way, Wallington, SM6 7AH

Telephone: 020 8661 8188 Mobile: 07920 788993 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ukhca.co.uk

Registered in England, No. 3083104.

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Money blog: 'He bought it on eBay thinking it was a toy' - How £600 car turning up at a mum's house helped inspire GoHenry

In the first of our Women in Business series, we speak to GoHenry founder Louise Hill about her journey to the top. Read this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog below, and leave your thoughts in the comments box.

Tuesday 28 May 2024 21:44, UK

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Ask a question or make a comment

Just 18% of companies in the UK are led by women, a nd while data suggests female entrepreneurs are on the rise, men still receive more funding and are entrusted with higher average loans to get them started.  

In a new series every Tuesday,  Money blog reporter Jess Sharp speaks to women who are bossing it in their respective fields - hearing their stories, struggles and advice for those who want to follow in their footsteps. 

First up is the co-founder and CEO of GoHenry, Louise Hill...  

For many women, having kids pauses or unfairly disrupts their careers. For Louise, the opposite happened. 

Growing up in Lowestoft on the east coast of England, she had a childhood filled with days on the beach, kayaking and exploring old boats. But her own kids arrived into a very different world - one of apps and downloads and online market places.

It wasn't long before she started to think about financial education and the importance of practical money skills.  

Back when her two children had iPods and would download music from iTunes, she would print off an invoice every time they landed a bill in her inbox. The invoice would then be stuck on the fridge.

When they came to her at the weekend asking for pocket money, Louise would point to the fridge and deduct the amount they had already spent from their allowance.  

"I was trying to make them understand that money has to come from somewhere, and it really doesn't grow on trees," she told the Money team. 

"I could go through the process of saying, well you'd normally get £5 but here's what you've spent this week, so you only get £1.20." 

How the idea for GoHenry came about

Among school pick-ups and kids' football games, she heard other parents complaining about their children's spending habits.  

One parent told a story about her daughter spending £200 on an online My Little Pony game. Another didn't know what to do when a battered-up car arrived at her driveway on a flatbed truck after her son spent £600 on eBay on what he thought was a toy. 

"Everybody had a story. It was amazing to realise we were all having the same problems and kids were starting to have access through their parents to the digital world, but there was nothing in the market to help parents teach them to access it in a safe way," Louise said.  

"We wanted to create a service that would empower them with freedom, confidence, to use and understand money but in a safe environment."

The idea of GoHenry, a prepaid debit card and learning app, was born.  

With a big mortgage, little money to set up a business and two kids to look after following a divorce, Louise said she and her co-founders (who quickly left the company) "grafted".

"I could have got a fairly safe, well-paid corporate job - jumping off the edge of a cliff into the uncertainty of starting a business was quite a leap," she said.

"But, the idea was too good, frankly. 

"It took a little while to work out the right tool to use, so we worked nights, we worked weekends, we worked holidays, all because we really, really wanted to bring this to market." 

In an initial round of seed funding, she raised more than £650,000, which was followed by several successful crowdfunding campaigns. 

The challenges

Her company eventually launched in 2012 and while it's now a huge success, delivering a service to more than two million people across France, Spain, Italy, the US and the UK, Louise said it hasn't been without its challenges. 

The first one was the name. When it first came to market, the business was called PKTMNY (pronounced pocket money), but the name was changed about 18 months later after she realised it was "stupid".  

"Nobody could say it and nobody could spell it, it was a really silly idea," she added. 

The business got the name GoHenry after its very first customer – an 11-year-old boy named Henry from Bristol.

Another challenge was its scale of growth - GoHenry grew in a big way, very quickly, which meant constant changes needed to be made to the company structure. 

"About six or seven years ago, we were growing incredibly quickly... I know this sounds ridiculous but almost every six months you'd have to step back and look at what we needed," she said. 

This was an issue Louise had faced and failed to overcome years before in a previous business - an ecommerce company called Manners which she was forced to sell after running out of cash to sustain its growth. 

"We failed to think about how we would scale it. We couldn't grow it any more because we didn't have enough cash in the company. At the time, I was really cross with myself for not having thought about that," she said. 

'I was becoming a roadblock'

In around 2017-18, Louise realised another issue with GoHenry - herself. 

"I was becoming a roadblock. I was working flat out and so much of the information about why we did things the way we did them was in my head or in my laptop files," she explained.

"That kind of snuck up on me and I was fundamentally creating a risk for the business and stopping us growing as quickly as we could." 

She started a campaign across the company, encouraging staff to raise "single points of failure" to see where the problems were. 

"I appeared in there an awful lot," she said. "So, yeah, that's a top tip from me - don't let that sneak up on you. Plan ahead." 

What's been the key to her success? 

Now running for more than 12 years, GoHenry has continued to expand and innovate.

Louise said keeping her mission of "making every kid smart with money" at the forefront had been "fundamental". 

"That is our sole focus. This isn't an add-on product to another business, everyone who joins GoHenry is here for one reason and that's to serve Gen Z and now Generation Alpha's money needs and I think that makes a big difference," she added. 

Louise's advice for others 

"Who am I to give advice?" was her initial response when asked this question, adding that she hoped to see more young girls and women see images of people who look like them succeeding.

"The more that becomes the norm, the more people will think they can do it too," she said. 

"I've been asked many times what's the difference between a founder, an entrepreneur and a non-entrepreneur, and it has to come down to risk appetite," she added.

"I've thought about all sorts of different mindsets, different backgrounds, different abilities with, I don't know, spreadsheets or contacts... But at some point it comes down to being confident enough." 

So practically, she said women looking to set up a business should start by finding support groups.

"There are loads out there. They can be hugely helpful because founding a business can be lonely and a tough move to make. Nobody pretends that it's easy," she said. 

Another tip she had was to plan for scale "from day one", thinking about the partners you work with, the suppliers, how much money you need to bring in and how often you might need to "go out and get more money". 

But the most important lesson, she says, is was to hire people you know are better than you. 

"It's scary to hire people that you know are much better than you but if you can do that and then give them the space they need to do what they can really well, you'll have a much higher chance of a successful business," she said. 

" What's the worst that can happen if you fail? Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, start again." 

Thieves are targeting electric car charging cables in the latest spate of car crimes.

Data from Instavolt, the UK's largest operator of rapid chargers, found gangs had targeted 27 sites in Yorkshire and the Midlands since last November and stolen 174 cables.

With each cable costing at least £1,000, the operator, which runs Osprey Charging and BP Pulse, said this was affecting electric vehicle drivers.

It also risked deterring prospective drivers who wanted to make the move to electric cars, they said.

The company is now introducing a range of measures at charging stations to deter thieves, including installing extra CCTV, security patrols, using SmartWater to tag property and tracking devices.

Instavolt CEO Delvin Lane told Autocar : "These thefts are extremely frustrating for our customers and for us."

He also noted that it was a "misconception" that the copper in chargers brought real financial gain. 

"The value of any metal stolen is insignificant. The thefts just cause disruption to EV drivers - including those in the emergency services - looking to charge their vehicles," he said.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

A company that makes microchips for artificial intelligence and became the first chipmaker to be worth first $1trn then $2trn has today reached another record high.

Nvidia shares are now going for a record $1,132.19 after it posted higher-than-expected quarterly profits and made strong forecasts. Its value is now $2.62trn (£2.05trn)

The US-based, New York-listed company is in the ranks of tech giants worth the eye-watering trillion sum, including Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Google parent company Alphabet, as investors expect the company will benefit from the AI revolution.

Also making headlines was UK company Boohoo, the Manchester-based fast fashion retailer, as it cancelled annual bonuses worth £3m. 

A pay proposal for bosses was also ditched after talks with shareholders as the company has experienced losses after the pandemic-era online shopping boom faded and a cost of living crisis eroded consumer spending power.

Revolution Bars has rejected a proposed offer from rival Nightcap, warning it is "incapable of being delivered".

The hospitality group launched a sale process and restructuring plans last month amid efforts to stay afloat. The company's restructuring plans include £12.5m in fundraising and the closure of 18 venues.

But Revolution has said the non-binding proposal from Nightcap  did not include the proposed fundraising and would not work as it was "highly conditional".

Read the full story here ...

The rate of price rises in UK shops has returned to "normal levels", according to new industry figures.

Overall annual shop inflation eased to 0.6% in May, down from 0.8% in April, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and NielsenIQ said.

The figure is the lowest since November 2021.

More than 120 business leaders have written an open letter giving their backing to Labour in the general election.

The letter printed in The Times has been signed by figures including the founders of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales, chef Tom Kerridge and former CEOs of Heathrow, JP Morgan and Aston Martin.

Openreach plans to build full fibre broadband in over 500 more locations across the UK, it has been announced.

The new locations include 400,000 sites in the hardest to reach, most rural parts of the country, including Tobermory in Argyll and Bute, Haworth in West Yorkshire, Saundersfoot in South Wales, Pinxton in Derbyshire, Harlow in Essex and Roborough in Devon.

The work, which is part of Openreach's £15bn project to upgrade the UK's broadband infrastructure, will cover a further 2.7 million homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

Clive Selley, chief executive of Openreach, said the plan was to build right across the UK, "from cities and towns to far-flung farms and island communities".

"Over time, we've learnt to deliver predictably, consistently and at a rapid pace - despite this being a hugely complex national engineering project," he said.

Check your full fibre availability here .

London is officially the world's cleverest city, according to an annual study.

Oxford Economics , an independent economic advisory firm, found the capital topped the list when it came to "human capital" - this encompasses the collective knowledge and skills of a city's population.

In its report, the firm found London came out on top in part due to the number of higher education institutions in the city, "which helps it achieve one of the highest rates of educational attainment in the world".

"London also attracts many highly educated people from abroad and several global corporations are headquartered in the city to take advantage of this world-class talent pool," the report added.

In second place was Tokyo and in third place was Riyadh.

Top cities by human capital score: 

1. London, UK

2. Tokyo, Japan

3. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

4. New York, US

5. Seoul, South Korea

6. Paris, France

7. Washington, DC, US

8. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

9. Sydney, Australia

10. Boston, US

Concerns are being raised as fast fashion retailer Shein has its sights set on a London stock market listing.

Our City editor Mark Kleinman previously reported the fast fashion giant had held talks with the London Stock Exchange about staging a blockbuster public listing in the UK. 

Shein has quickly become one of the world's biggest online clothing retailers and the talks came at a time of crisis for the City as a listing venue for large multinationals.

But senior MPs are calling for more scrutiny of the Chinese company, which sells ultra-cheap clothing and has faced allegations of labour malpractices. 

Alicia Kearns, the Conservative chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote on X: "With Shein's prices so low, the London Stock Exchange needs to ask itself, whose suffering is subsiding those prices?

"A company which has failed to make full disclosures about its supply chains as required by UK law, and where there are grave concerns about its factory working conditions, has no place in London."

Sarah Champion, the Labour chair of the International Development Committee, told The Guardian: "Transparency in supply chains is vital and something all governments should be demanding. Serious concerns have been raised about the use of modern slavery by Shein which need investigating."

A Shein spokesperson told the Money blog that it acknowledged its role in "creating a more sustainable and responsible fashion industry" and "believed it was healthy to attract scrutiny and transparency" and "wanted to be held to the highest standards".

"Shein has a zero-tolerance policy for forced labour and we are committed to respecting human rights," they said in a statement.

"We take visibility across our entire supply chain seriously and we require our contract manufacturers to only source cotton from approved regions."

The company also said it was "investing millions of pounds in strengthening governance and compliance across its supply chain".

"Our regular supplier audits are showing a consistent improvement in performance and compliance by our supplier partners. This includes improvements in ensuring that workers are compensated fairly for what they do," they added.

Basically, the triple lock is a commitment from the government to keep the state pension in line with rising prices and wages.

The government's pledge is to uprate the new and basic pension every year by the highest of three things - earnings growth, inflation, or 2.5%. Hence the "triple" reference.

It was first announced by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition government in the first budget following the 2010 election, and has been in place since the 2011-12 financial year – bar a brief suspension in 2022-23.

Prior to this, pensions had been increased at least in line with prices since 1980.

Why was it introduced?

The triple lock was brought in to protect the value of the state pension from being overtaken by increased living costs or the working population's income.

Announcing the scheme in his emergency June 2010 budget, then-chancellor George Osborne said pensioners would "have the income to live with dignity in retirement".

What does it apply to, what is it worth and who's eligible?

The triple lock applies to the basic or "old" state pension (paid to people who reached pension age before 6 April 2016), and the new state pension (6 April 2016 and later).

Last month saw the state pension rise by 8.5% to match the increase in average earnings - following a 10.1% hike the previous year.

It means for the current tax year (2024-25), the full new state pension is:

• £221.20 per week
• £11,502.40 per year

People who reached state pension age from April 2016 need at least 35 years on their national insurance record  to be eligible for the full new state pension.

The basic state pension is currently: 

• £169.50 per week
• £8,814 per year

Men born before 6 April 1945 will need at least 44 qualifying national insurance years to get the full pension, while for women it's 39. Men and women born between April 1945 and April 1951 need 30 years.

Will the triple lock continue?

An ageing population and soaring inflation has raised questions about its long-term affordability.

A 2023 report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the triple lock adds an extra £11bn a year to public spending, while the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned the "costly" scheme could push up pension spending by about 0.8% of GDP by the 2027-28 tax year.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said back in March that the Conservative Party would commit to keeping the triple lock if it won the general election - after previously saying it was being kept "under review".

The party has now announced plans for a "triple lock plus" that would see pensioners' personal tax allowance rise by the same percentage as their pensions.

The Tories have frozen income tax allowances until 2028 - meaning millions of Britons are paying more tax by "stealth", contributing to a record tax burden on the country.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also vowed to keep the regular triple lock for at least five years if his party replaces the Tories in power.

Read other entries in our Basically... series...

Raheem Sterling will financially support 14 students to attend university through his scholarship fund, with applications closing this week.

This will be the second year the Chelsea forward's scholarship programme will assist successful applicants at King's College London and the University of Manchester.

Applications for the Raheem Sterling Foundation Scholarship Programme is open to students of black, African and Caribbean heritage from socio-economically under-represented backgrounds to help bridge the equality gap.

It covers their tuition fees, accommodation and other essential costs.

But those who wish to apply will need to send in their application before the deadline this Thursday. 

Speaking to the The Times , Sterling noted that in 2021-22 less than 5% of all UK students starting degrees were black.

He said he wanted to "take away" the worry of finances so that those from minority backgrounds could "go on to achieve their goals".

"It's really nice to see some of what I envisioned coming to life now," he said.

"I wanted to structure the foundation in a way that we could react to need and not be too rigid, as life and circumstances can change quickly. 

"The focus is to provide opportunity to those who wouldn't otherwise have it, going into minority and under-served communities and opening eyes to new experiences."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

Shares in housebuilder Persimmon have dropped nearly 3% this morning after Sky News revealed it is exploring a £1bn takeover bid for rival Cala Group.

City editor  Mark Kleinman reported on Saturday that the company was considering the move ahead of a deadline for bids.

Analysts at JP Morgan said investors are price sensitive to potential mergers and acquisitions in the sector at the moment, with the UK's competition watchdog already looking into a potential £2.5bn buyout of housebuilder Redrow by its rival Barratt .

It comes amid expectations that housing will be a key issue in the current general election campaign, which got under way last week.

Otherwise, the FTSE 100 is quite flat following the bank holiday, and is currently down 0.15% in early trading.

Gainers this morning include Rolls-Royce, which is up nearly 2%, and grocery delivery firm Ocado, which is up more than 5%.

It comes after industry figures this morning revealed that shop price inflation has "returned to normal" .

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.27 US or €1.17.

A banking app used by millions of people crashed for thousands this morning.

The NatWest app was displaying an error message for some users, with approximately 3,000 reporting issues on Downdetector from 7am onwards.

Users took to X to complain, with some pointing out the fault had occurred on payday for many.

"NatWest online banking is always broken when I need it," one said.

Customers trying to use the app were greeted with the message: "We're sorry, some kind of error has occurred when trying to establish a connection between your device and ourselves."

Some 9.8 million people use the app, according to the NatWest Group.

A NatWest spokesperson said the issue had now been resolved.

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Prorogation ceremony ends business in Parliament

Jennifer McKiernan

Political reporter

A short ceremony, involving a lot of hats and a smattering of French, has now ended business in Parliament for this session, ahead of the general election.

A Royal Commission, made up of five peers appointed by the King, take their places on the woolsack dressed in red ermine robes and black and two-pointed, bicorner hats.

Video content

They send a small group of Lords officials down the Westminster corridors to instruct Black Rod to summon representatives from the Commons, made up of the Speaker of the Commons, alongside the deputy speakers, the Clerk of the House and the Serjeant at Arms.

When they arrive, there is a ceremonial greeting, where the Lords doff their black bicorn hats and the Commons representatives acknowledge this by bowing.

The Acts passed this parliamentary session are then read from a parchment and the Clerk of the Parliament turns to face MPs and indicates they have Royal Assent in French, which translates as "the King wishes it".

And with that, we are ending our live coverage for today. For more on the forthcoming general election click here . We will be back tomorrow for more, so please join us then.

What happened on the second full day of campaigning?

We are nearing the end of day two. Here’s a recap of what happened:

• Senior Conservatives Michael Gove and Dame Andrea Leadsom announced they will not be seeking re-election, with the total number of MPs from all parties standing down now at 121
• Parliament was prorogued , with a handful of government bills rushed through before the cut-off
• Plans to reform homeowners' rights in England and Wales passed in time, but without the Tory manifesto commitment to restrict ground rents paid by leaseholders to next to nothing
• The Conservatives’ promise to abolish no-fault evictions for renters failed to get over the line, but a bill which paves the way to establish an independent Infected Blood Compensation Authority passed
• Rishi Sunak admitted he was disappointed his plan to phase out smoking did not have enough time to become law, but he said it would be back if the Conservatives are returned to government
• Labour leader Keir Starmer said he can't commit to scrapping university tuition fees - which he backed when running to be Labour leader - or repealing the two-child benefit cap, blaming a lack of resources
• Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would stand as an independent in his Islington North constituency, meaning he will be directly competing with the party he once led
• Labour committed to two TV debates involving Starmer, with the Conservatives pushing for six such leaders events

Watch or listen to Electioncast: Michael Gove Votes to Leave

Adam Fleming and Chris Mason are joined by James Cook to discuss Starmer visiting Scotland on the campaign trail, Corbyn confirming he is standing in Islington North and a surprise announcement from Michael Gove!

Listen or watch now and every day of the general election campaign.

Path to the general election

We are nearing the end of the second full day of the general election campaign.

While the party leaders were on the road Parliament wrapped up its business, and many sitting MPs announced they are stepping down at the forthcoming election.

What's next? Here's a handy timeline of key dates that lead up to the big day on 4 July.

Packed summer sport schedule surrounds election

Rishi Sunak's six-week campaign ahead of the snap election coincides with some of the biggest fixtures of the British summer.

The election falls on the 4 July, just days after Glastonbury, one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and in the midst of Wimbledon's tennis tournament and the European Football Championships.The date has irked some politicians, as school holidays start from 1 July in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said holding the vote on the first week of the holidays showed the impact on Scots "will not have been given a moment's thought".

Read more on this here.

Listen to our Reliable Sauce podcast

Kirsty Grant

Reliable Sauce podcast presenter

Hey hey hey.

Kirsty here – one half of the Reliable Sauce podcast. We cover all the biggest trending stories – things we’ve seen on social media and love.

We were supposed to be on a break but we’ve started Season Three early because of this week’s 'genny lec' announcement!

So, we’ve been stalking the comments on @BBCNews TikTok account and have gathered your general election questions – and we’re answering them on this week’s episode. From – how to vote, why some people postal vote… and what happens if you’re on holiday? It is in July after all.

Head to BBC Sounds to listen to the answers - we’ll be back every week too.

Leasehold bill passes as Gove steps down

One of the last acts of this parliament was to pass the government’s reforms to leaseholds.

Labour agreed to back the legislation, meaning it was able to go through its final stages quickly.

The bill aims to make it cheaper and easier for more people to extend their lease, buy their freehold and take over management of their building.

But it is significantly less ambitious than Michael Gove, the housing secretary, had hoped. It also does not implement the 2019 Conservative manifesto promise to restrict ground rents paid by leaseholders to “peppercorn”, or next to nothing.

In his letter announcing his was stepping down, Gove highlighted the bill as “the most wide-ranging reforms to leasehold” in a generation.

Labour aren’t convinced. The shadow housing minister Matthew Pennycook described it as “unambitious” and said “leaseholders across the country will be bitterly disappointed at the Tories' failure to enact bold leasehold reform.”

But given the timing of Gove standing down, it will be seen as one his last achievements.

Leadsom to stand down

Dame Andrea Leadsom has just announced that she will not stand at the election.

Writing on social media site X , Leadsom says "after careful reflection" she has decided not to stand as a candidate for South Northamptonshire.

In pictures: On the campaign trail

The election campaign is well under way. Let's look at some photos from day two.

Gove full of praise for Sunak as he steps down

Harry Farley

Political correspondent

Michael Gove is a longstanding Conservative cabinet minister. He is respected by many in Westminster as an operator and an effective reformer, including by several Labour MPs and ministers I have spoken to.

His decision not to stand for re-election is undoubtedly a loss for Rishi Sunak.

But he makes a point in a letter to his local Conservative Association chair of praising the prime minister as someone who “exemplifies the patriotism, hard work, sense of selfless service and clarity of purpose which are the best virtues of our party”.

So it is very different from losing a cabinet minister in protest at Sunak’s leadership.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Gove has been an MP for nearly 20 years. And like more than 100 other MPs, all with different reasons, he has decided to call time on his time in the Commons.

Lib Dems claim Gove is 'running scared'

Some reaction now from the Lib Dems to Michael Gove announcing he will not be standing as an MP again.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney says the MP for Surrey Heath is "running scared" of her party.

She says: "The drumbeat of Conservative MPs stepping down has been getting louder as the days go by - now it's deafening.

"Every Conservative MP that steps down in a blue wall battleground is a damning statement against Rishi Sunak and proof the Liberal Democrats are on the up."

Who is Michael Gove?

Michael Gove has announced he will not be standing at the upcoming election on 4 July.

The secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, as well as minister for intergovernmental relations, Gove is a high-profile departure for the Conservatives, having played a prominent role in UK politics for many years.

A former journalist, who worked at the BBC before going on to become a columnist on the Times newspaper, Gove entered the Commons in 2005 as the MP for Surrey Heath.

He served as education secretary under David Cameron’s premiership, where his flagship policy was the introduction of free schools, which operate outside of local authority control.

Gove then played a prominent part in the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum - a move which saw him competing against Cameron, a close friend.

Having successfully campaigned for Brexit together, Gove was set to back Boris Johnson in a leadership contest after Cameron’s departure.

But in another twist, Gove instead decided to run himself, and criticised Johnson’s suitability. Theresa May ending up winning the contest, but Gove returned to the Cabinet shortly afterwards.

The housing secretary’s announcement that he is standing down comes as the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, which will update homeowner’s rights, is on the verge of becoming law after clearing both Houses of Parliament.

Gove 'tried to be a voice for the overlooked and undervauled'

More on Michael Gove's statement now.

He says that he "undoubtedly made mistakes" but tried to "fight for greater social justice" during his time in politics.

"I have always tried to be a voice for the overlooked and undervalued," he says.

His announcement means 120 MPs standing down at the forthcoming election.

Gove gives his backing to Sunak

In his statement, addressed to the chairman of his local Conservative group in Surrey Heath, Gove backs Rishi Sunak's leadership, saying he "has the plan our country needs at a time of global insecurity and growing challenge".

In the statement, which is around two-and-a-half pages long, Gove says being asked to serve as a minister has been "the honour of my life", but adds "I also know the toll office can take, as do those closest to me".

He then talks through the achievements he is most proud of from his time in office.

Time to let new generation lead, Gove says

More now from Gove, who has posted his statement announcing he is standing down on social media.

He says the chance to serve is "wonderful", saying: "But there comes a moment when you know that it is time to leave. That a new generation should lead."

Gove issues statement confirming he is stepping down

Confirmation now from Gove that he is standing down.

Writing on social media platform X, he says: "After nearly twenty years serving the wonderful people of Surrey Heath and over a decade in Cabinet across five government departments, I have today taken the decision to step down as a Member of Parliament."

Breaking Gove to stand down at election

Cabinet minister Michael Gove will not stand at the next election, the BBC understands.

Cat and dog theft to become criminal offence in August

The Pet Abduction Bill is due to receive Royal Assent with the law subsequently set to come into force in August.

It's one piece of legislation, among others, that has been pushed through today on the final day of Parliament.

It will make taking a cat, or taking or detaining a dog, a criminal offence.

Anyone convicted under the law could face a fine or a maximum of five years in prison.

Currently, pets are legally considered to be property. Stealing a pet is covered by the 1968 Theft Act with the law similar in Scotland.

You can read more details about the new law from our correspondent Helen Catt.

What have we heard so far today

With the election campaign now in its third day, here is what has been happening:

• We started the day with Keir Starmer out on the broadcast round, saying his party would only make commitments it could keep
• The Labour leader was pushed on Diane Abbott's suspension as a Labour MP, and indicated that it was an issue which could be resolved in the coming days
• As the current leader was speaking, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he will stand against the party at the general election
• The Labour leadership were on the campaign trail in Scotland - where it will base state-owned company Great British Energy if it wins the election
• MP Craig Mackinlay, who made an emotional return to parliament this week after losing his arms and legs to sepsis, has said he will stand down at the next election
• Rishi Sunak was in Northern Ireland for a flying visit, and he said he was disappointed his smoking legislation could not pass before parliament was dissolved
• And finally, there is something of a row developing over television debates - with Sunak pushing for a debate a week, and Starmer staying non-committal

Political campaigns don't always stick to the script

Nick Eardley

Political correspondent, travelling with the PM

Rishi Sunak had one key advantage going into this campaign; he knew it was going to happen. That meant he could get on the front foot and out on the road right away.

In the past couple of days, I’ve been with him in Nottingham, Staffordshire, Belfast, Inverness and Barry.

The PM’s message has been that the economy has turned a corner – and that he has bold ideas for the country.

But as is often the case in political campaigns, things don’t always stick to the script.

He’s had to admit he won’t deliver on two key pledges before voters go to the polls; the Rwanda scheme and his plan to ban smoking for everyone born after 2009.

He’s had to deny snubbing the mother of one of the victims of the Manchester bombing . She said Sunak had promised to get a law ensuring better security at venues through before summer – and felt misled. He says he’s still committed to that (if he’s PM).

And then there’s the campaign moments.

Local journalists in Northern Ireland noticed he’d chosen the Titanic Quarter for his event in Belfast; one asked was he in charge of a sinking ship.

There was an moment in Wales when he asked if people in a brewery were looking forward to the summer of football. Wales didn’t qualify for the Euros. Cue awkward silence.

We’ve also just left a college where a small but noisy protest turned up. Pro-Gaza demonstrators rushed the PM’s car and he had to be huckled into the building.

Some of these things might seem a bit minor. But add them together, and they could be a problem.

Journalists chatted to the PM on the plane from Belfast to the Midlands earlier. He was chipper; saying he was up for the fight of the campaign. I asked him if he’d win: “Damn right” was the answer.

But with the Conservatives behind in the polls, Sunak knows how much work he has to do. And things haven’t gone totally to plan so far.

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Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise ships leave from Baltimore for the first time since the collapse of the Key Bridge

• Cruise ships left the Port of Baltimore for the first time since March 26.
• The port's terminal was blocked after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed and killed six workers.
• Rebuilding the bridge will take four years and could cost up to $1.9 billion.

Two months after Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, cruise ships are now taking off from the Port of Baltimore.

A Royal Caribbean ship called Vision of the Seas left from the port on Saturday for a trip to Bermuda. And a Carnival Cruise ship called Pride destined for Greenland and Canada left Baltimore on Sunday.

The two trips are notable as the first cruise ships to leave Baltimore since the port was blocked by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. The bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship, killing six workers. The Francis Scott Key Bridge services about 30,000 people a day.

"We've been working through this process for the past two months," Jonathan Daniels, the director for the Port of Baltimore said in a video posted to X on May 25 by the port.

One week ago, the port's terminal was the headquarters for the recovery operations for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Daniels added. The terminal is also a massive area of tourism for Maryland, bringing in 440,000 cruise passengers a year, Daniels told the Baltimore Sun.

The project to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge will take four years and is estimated to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation said in May 2023.

Watch: The container ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge has crashed before

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Travelpac: travel to and from the UK (2023 edition)

Travel to and from the UK, with detail on traveller age and sex, trip purpose, length, and spending. From International Passenger Survey (IPS), quarterly data.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/travelpactraveltoandfromtheuk2023edition

Official statistics are produced impartially and free from political influence.

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