The first service that allows users to pay for purchases via their mobile phone has been launched in the UK. Among shops signed up to the system are McDonalds, EAT, Pret-a-Manger and some Boots stores.
Users wishing to use the system � dubbed Quick Tap � will need Orange and Barclaycard accounts as well as a handset set up for contactless payments. The idea of the mobile wallet is gaining popularity around Europe.
Motorway toll
The service is made possible by Near Field Communication (NFC), the short-range wireless technology that underpins many wireless payment systems.
Quick Tap is a collaboration between Orange and Barclaycard. It will require a NFC-enabled Samsung Tocco Lite handset, which also goes on sale on Friday.
Only purchases up to a value of �15 can be made using the service but users can preload their mobile with up to �100. �Having a wallet on my phone has made it much more convenient to make purchases on the move and I like that it allows me to keep track of what I�m spending as I go,� said David Chan, chief executive of Barclaycard Consumer.
�It is going to start a revolution in the way we pay for things on the high street,� added Pippa Dunn, vice president of Orange. Other stores signed up the service include Subway, Little Chef, Wilkinson and the National Trust.
Later this summer, users will also be able to use the service to pay the toll on the M6 motorway.
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