contactless meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

contactless

adj

Etymology From contact + -less.

› That does not use or require contact in…

Usually, Of a delivery, Of physical goods Conducted without human-to-human contact to improve ease of use or reduce the potential spread of a contagious disease; contact-free.

Contactless commerce, of which Amazon Go is at the extreme end, was of course already by the autumn of 2019 a growing trend, what with increasing numbers of self-checkout counters and websites and apps that allowed us to have everything from groceries to pet supplies to prescription medication delivered right to our doorsteps.2020, Noreena Hertz, chapter 5, in The Lonely Century, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN:
Please stay in touch with me / In this contactless society / Anywhere that you may be2025, “The Hymn of the North”, in Jarvis Cocker (lyrics), More, performed by Pulp:

Of transactions Happening without physical contact at the point of sale.

TfL has been saying for a few years that Oyster will eventually be withdrawn, but not until contactless payments can offer railcard discounts.2019 October 23, Barry Doe, Rail, page 64:

That has no contact or contacts.

Derived terms: contactless card, contactlessly, contactlessness

contactless

noun

Etymology From contact + -less.

A technology for paying for goods etc. while physically present at the point of interaction but without the need for physical contact.

The motivation for using contactless is clear: it is most popular for people in a rush (58 per cent), people with a queue behind them (30 per cent) and those in busy places with lots of people (26 per cent).2012, Graham Flower, Phil Fawcett, Stuart Harle, Banking: In Search of Relevance: A New Model for a New Reality, page 183:
Even before the coronavirus struck, contactless was starting to become our way of life, our active choice.2020, Noreena Hertz, chapter 1, in The Lonely Century, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN: