contactless

adjective

con·​tact·​less ˈkän-ˌtakt-ləs 

: not involving contact: such as

a

: not requiring touching or interaction between people

contactless meal delivery

… many retailers and restaurants have rolled out home delivery along with contactless options, leaving food orders and grocery deliveries on door steps.

—Dawson White

b

: relating to or being a technological system (as for making payments) where information is transmitted over short distances (as by near field communication) without physical contact

… hold your phone in front of the contactless payment scanner to authorize the purchase.

—Robert Patrick

Contactless payment cards are not in wide circulation. Instead, consumers are increasingly making electronic payments with their cellular phones …

—Chad Bray and Reuben Kyama

Examples of contactless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The quarter-sized medallion device, worn or carried by passengers, acts as a digital key that enables touchless cabin entry, contactless payment, and personalized service throughout the ship. —Roger Dooley, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Unlike more basic fitness trackers, this stylish smartwatch also offers handy smart features, including contactless payments and third-party apps. —PCMAG, 3 Dec. 2024

Apple proposed letting third-party mobile wallet and payment service providers access the contactless payment function on its iOS operating system, the EU said. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2024

Along with all of this, Hall effect sensors are completely contactless. —Henri Robbins, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above