450 million pounds will be spent online during Mega Monday

Wednesday, November 27, 2013 - 11:57 by Graham Miller

British consumers are expected to spend up to £450 million through e-commerce sites in a single day when December 2nd rolls around. This is according to a new report from Visa Europe, which cites 'Mega Monday' as being one of the busiest for shopping online.

The report claims that Visa card users are expected to contribute about £450 million to this total over the course of the day, which equates to about £5,208 each and every second.

Visa will be dealing with a total of 7.7 million transactions during this 24 hour period, according to spokesperson, Jeremy Nicholds, which is 16 per cent more than were handled on the same day in 2012.

About a quarter of all purchases made using Visa cards by British consumers are carried out online and this level is expected to grow further in the coming months and years.

Mr Nicholds also spoke about the growing trust that shoppers are putting in making payments through e-commerce, as well as the confidence that people now have in the reliability of deliveries.

People in the UK are uniquely keen to shop online to stock up on presents and food this Christmas, with Mega Monday marking the start of the festive rush, as millions of consumers prepare to make merry in the middle of winter.

Although the number of people buying products via e-commerce sites will spike on December 2nd, most of the major retailers, including Amazon and eBay, should be more than ready to handle the influx of visitors, as well as deal with the rise in delivery requirements.

Buying online means you can avoid the cold and the crowds on the high street and pick up everything you need from the comfort of your living room. And with smartphones and tablets widely used, online shopping is more convenient than ever.