One in five consumers say that they had left a store in the past six months without making a purchase because the store didn’t take cards, according to payment service Judo.

Almost the same number (19 per cent) had avoided a store altogether because they couldn’t use their card to pay.

The majority (70 per cent) of consumers prefer to pay with a card than cash for everyday purchases, with 61 per cent of survey respondents saying they would spend more with a business if it took cards.

On average, Londoners walk out of shops 8.6 times a year because they can’t pay by card. Consumers from the capital are also the most likely to avoid a shop if it doesn’t take card payments.

Younger shoppers are the most likely to take their business elsewhere if they can’t pay by card, with three out of five 18- to 24-year-olds (59 per cent) admitting to walking out of a shop in the past six months because they couldn’t pay by card.

Dennis Jones, CEO of Judo says, ‘Card payment equipment has not kept pace with technology and it’s become too expensive and technically complicated for many to use, which is why there are so many small retailers who still don’t take cards.’

See also: Five tips to get started taking card payments – A guide covering the essentials of modern payment systems