Card payments should be accessible, reliable and inclusive for everyone. This report sets out practical recommendations to improve accessibility across the UK’s card payments ecosystem and support greater independence and confidence for disabled customers.

The recommendations focus on improving consistency in how accessibility features are designed, activated and understood. This includes maintaining momentum behind the UK Finance Accessible Cards Code of Practice, strengthening minimum accessibility requirements for payment terminals, preserving consumer choice through continued access to physical PIN-pads, and supporting the European Blind Union’s work on terminal standards.

A key priority is making accessibility features easier to find and use on touchscreen terminals. The report explores options such as a standard on-screen icon, a defined place to tap, gesture-based or voice-based activation, or a tactile button on the side of the device. It also highlights the importance of universal headphone-jack support to enable accessible audio interaction.

The report also calls for better industry-wide awareness and training. Existing accessibility features are not always well understood or consistently used, so retailers, payment providers, manufacturers and third-sector organisations all have a role to play in improving staff confidence and customer support.

Finally, the report considers whether a Card Payments Code of Practice could help provide clearer guidance for retailers and payment providers. This could cover areas such as terminal availability, staff training, customer privacy, accessible information in store and alignment with existing accessibility standards.

It is encouraging that manufacturers appear to be responding to the European Accessibility Act, and that some are participating in the European Blind Union’s (EBU) working group on terminal accessibility. We encourage all manufacturers to engage with the EBU in developing effective standards and designs. Neither the payments sector nor the retail sector designs payment terminals directly, but their purchasing decisions can reward and incentivise manufacturers that adopt recognised accessibility standards.

Together, these recommendations aim to reduce fragmentation, improve consistency, and deliver meaningful improvements in independence and confidence for customers with accessibility needs across the UK’s card payment ecosystem.