diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-spec/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/spec/ContractStorer.java b/spring-cloud-contract-spec/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/spec/ContractStorer.java
index dc94ffb2d7..1df2b4dda9 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-spec/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/spec/ContractStorer.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-spec/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/spec/ContractStorer.java
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 /**
- * Defines how to store converted contracts to a String representation
+ * Defines how to store converted contracts to a byte array representation
  * that can be stored to drive
  *
  * @author Marcin Grzejszczak
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ public interface ContractStorer<T> {
 	 * Stores the contracts as a map of filename and String
 	 *
 	 * @param contracts - to convert
-	 * @return mapping of filename to converted String representation of the contract
+	 * @return mapping of filename to converted byte array representation of the contract
 	 */
-	default Map<String, String> storeAsString(T contracts) {
-		Map<String, String> map = new HashMap<>();
-		map.put(String.valueOf(Math.abs(hashCode())), contracts.toString());
+	default Map<String, byte[]> store(T contracts) {
+		Map<String, byte[]> map = new HashMap<>();
+		map.put(String.valueOf(Math.abs(hashCode())), contracts.toString().getBytes());
 		return map;
 	}
 }
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverter.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverter.groovy
index af0e3ea9e9..834d74e55a 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverter.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverter.groovy
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ class PactContractConverter implements ContractConverter<Collection<Pact>> {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	Map<String, String> storeAsString(Collection<Pact> contracts) {
+	Map<String, byte[]> store(Collection<Pact> contracts) {
 		return contracts.collectEntries {
-			return [(name(it)) : JsonOutput.prettyPrint(JsonOutput.toJson(it.toMap(PactSpecVersion.V3)))]
+			return [(name(it)) : JsonOutput.prettyPrint(JsonOutput.toJson(it.toMap(PactSpecVersion.V3))).bytes]
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverterSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverterSpec.groovy
index 39e87e7674..0052e0c2f5 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverterSpec.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-tools/spring-cloud-contract-pact/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/spec/pact/PactContractConverterSpec.groovy
@@ -424,14 +424,14 @@ class PactContractConverterSpec extends Specification {
 		and:
 			 Collection<Pact> pacts = converter.convertTo(contracts)
 		when:
-			Map<String, String> strings = converter.storeAsString(pacts)
+			Map<String, byte[]> strings = converter.store(pacts)
 		then:
 			strings.size() == 1
 			strings.keySet().first().startsWith("10-04-pact-consumer_10-05-pact-producer_")
 			strings.keySet().first().endsWith(".json")
 			JSONAssert.assertEquals(
 					new File("src/test/resources/contracts/grouped/shouldWorkWithBeer.json").text,
-					strings.values().first(), false)
+					new String(strings.values().first()), false)
 	}
 
 	def "should convert from pact v2 to two SC contracts"() {
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverter.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverter.groovy
index 23abecf05c..9c941a374b 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverter.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverter.groovy
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@ class YamlContractConverter implements ContractConverter<List<YamlContract>> {
 	}
 
 	@Override
-	Map<String, String> storeAsString(List<YamlContract> contracts) {
+	Map<String, byte[]> store(List<YamlContract> contracts) {
 		return contracts.collectEntries {
 			return [(name(it)) :
-							this.mapper.writeValueAsString(it)]
+							this.mapper.writeValueAsString(it).bytes]
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/util/ToFileContractsTransformer.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/util/ToFileContractsTransformer.groovy
index 401d171bcb..41ee952e71 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/util/ToFileContractsTransformer.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/main/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/util/ToFileContractsTransformer.groovy
@@ -75,16 +75,16 @@ final class ToFileContractsTransformer {
 			ContractConverter<Collection> contractConverter = (ContractConverter) name.newInstance()
 			Collection converted = contractConverter.convertTo(contracts)
 			log.info("Successfully converted contracts definitions")
-			Map<String, String> stored = contractConverter.storeAsString(converted)
+			Map<String, byte[]> stored = contractConverter.store(converted)
 			File outputFolder = new File(outputPath)
 			outputFolder.mkdirs()
 			int i = 1
-			Set<Map.Entry<String, String>> entries = stored.entrySet()
+			Set<Map.Entry<String, byte[]>> entries = stored.entrySet()
 			log.info("Will convert [" + entries.size() + "] contracts")
 			List<File> files = new ArrayList<>()
-			for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : entries) {
+			for (Map.Entry<String, byte[]> entry : entries) {
 				File outputFile = new File(outputFolder, entry.getKey())
-				Files.write(outputFile.toPath(), entry.getValue().getBytes())
+				Files.write(outputFile.toPath(), entry.getValue())
 				log.info("[" + i + "/" + entries.size() + "] Successfully stored [" + outputFile.getName() + "]")
 				files.add(outputFile)
 			}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverterSpec.groovy b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverterSpec.groovy
index 039bb82f53..5fa4734f89 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverterSpec.groovy
+++ b/spring-cloud-contract-verifier/src/test/groovy/org/springframework/cloud/contract/verifier/converter/YamlContractConverterSpec.groovy
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ priority: null
 ignored: false
 '''
 		when:
-			Map<String, String> strings = converter.storeAsString([
+			Map<String, byte[]> strings = converter.store([
 			        new YamlContract(
 							name: "post1",
 							request: new YamlContract.Request(method: "POST", url: "/users/1"),
@@ -629,8 +629,8 @@ ignored: false
 			])
 		then:
 			strings.size() == 2
-			strings["post1.yml"].trim() == expectedYaml1.trim()
-			strings["post2.yml"].trim() == expectedYaml2.trim()
+			new String(strings["post1.yml"]).trim() == expectedYaml1.trim()
+			new String(strings["post2.yml"]).trim() == expectedYaml2.trim()
 	}
 
 	def "should parse messaging contract for [#file]"() {