Everything Everywhere introduces proximity payments in UK this summer
Partnership with Barclaycard will see NFC payments from mobile phones
Everything Everywhere, the company that owns Orange and T-Mobile, has said it will launch proximity payments in the UK this summer.
A partnership with Barclaycard will see users able to pay for goods by swiping a phone with a Near Field Communications (NFC) chip at a reader in a shop. Barclaycard currently has 42,000 NFC-enabled tills in operation, including those in Co-op, Little Chef and Pret a Manger.
“This is the beginning of a revolution in how we pay for things on the high street. It’s a cultural shift that is as important as the launch of the personal credit card or ATMs,” said Gerry McQuade, chief development officer of Everything Everywhere.
For security, all transactions are authenticated against the SIM, with payments processed by Master Card PayPass. The system requires both a new SIM and a phone that supports the authentication protocol, which includes current NFC handsets, such as the Google Nexus S.
Everything Everywhere has said that it’s working with a handset partner to release a flagship phone in time for the launch of the service, but it’s not giving out any details. It’s not impossible that the handset could be the iPhone 5, which will have NFC built in.
As with other contactless payment systems, transactions are limited to a maximum of £15. Using the account requires activation of the system and linking your handset to your existing Barclaycard debit card or Orange credit card. After this funds can be transferred to your contactless payment account.