Mastercard enlists Schmeichel to back Click to Pay

Mastercard has recruited former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel for a campaign urging UK shoppers to stop typing 16-digit card numbers online and use Click to Pay instead.

The initiative follows Mastercard research suggesting UK consumers are among Europe's most active users of online shopping security features. It found 82% of UK respondents use biometrics and other protections, including one-time passcodes and chargebacks for unauthorised purchases.

Separate UK retail data also points to continued momentum in eCommerce. UK consumers make 28% of their spending online, compared with a European average of 22%, according to Office for National Statistics figures cited by Mastercard.

Manual entry persists

Despite wider use of security checks, manual card entry remains common. Mastercard reported that nine in 10 UK consumers entered their 16-digit card number when buying online in the past year.

Mastercard positions Click to Pay as an alternative checkout option that removes the need to type long card numbers. It uses passkeys, biometrics and trusted devices instead of passwords and manual data entry.

Click to Pay is tied to Mastercard's broader shift to tokenisation for eCommerce payments. Tokenisation replaces a card's primary account number with a digital token, which is presented to merchants during a transaction instead of the underlying card number.

Mastercard says the tokens are "meaningless if stolen" and that authorisation can use a one-time passcode, passkeys or biometrics.

European milestone

Mastercard says it is halfway towards its goal of phasing out manual card entry online across Europe by 2030. Under the plan, online payments would rely on tokenised methods rather than consumers typing card details into checkout forms.

The shift has implications for merchants as well as consumers, as checkout flows can affect conversion and fraud rates. Token-based methods also change how payment credentials are stored and transmitted during transactions.

Mastercard's research also suggests UK consumers are using a mix of digital payment routes. It found 55% of respondents regularly use digital payment methods such as digital wallets and open banking.

Schmeichel film

The campaign includes a film featuring Schmeichel, focusing on the move away from manual card entry and towards device-based authentication at online checkout.

"The future of payments should feel more like a tap‐in, not an overhead kick," said Peter Schmeichel. "Click to Pay means no more fumbling for cards or mistyping numbers - just a smooth, secure way to buy online," said Schmeichel.

Mastercard framed the UK as a market where payment security tools are already widely used, creating a base for broader adoption of tokenised checkouts and passkey-led sign-in at the point of payment.

"UK shoppers are already leading the way in payment security, and this will help us transition to faster, more intuitive and more secure ways to pay," said Simon Forbes, division president for UK and Ireland at Mastercard.

"Those who move now will help shape a more seamless digital payments experience for the decade ahead," Forbes added.

Mastercard's Digital Payment Index underpins its findings on UK adoption of payment security and preferences. The research assessed knowledge and use of identification and security methods for payments, including fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, passwords and SMS-based one-time codes.

Mastercard said it will continue work on tokenised checkouts across Europe as it moves towards its 2030 goal of ending manual card entry for online payments.