Everything Everywhere and Barclaycard announced that the first contactless mobile phone payment system for UK consumers will launch by early summer. Barclaycard and Orange believe this will be the biggest revolution in payments since credit cards were introduced in the UK by Barclaycard over 40 years ago. Everything Everywhere chief development officer Gerry McQuade said it will soon be normal to use a mobile to buy a sandwich, a cinema ticket or in time, and even a computer. The new system from Orange and Barclaycard will enable customers to use their mobiles to pay for goods and services at more than 40,000 retailers that use contactless technology, by simply waving their mobile phone against a contactless reader. The launch proposition will focus on an industry-backed, SIM-based approach to payments ensuring enhanced security for customers, as well as to initially provide a single point of customer care contact. MasterCard will provide the payment capability for the contactless mobile transactions. Contactless mobile phone payments will feature as part of the wider Orange portfolio of products, developed in conjunction with Barclaycard, and which already features a contactless co-branded credit card as well as the forthcoming contactless Orange Cash prepaid payment card.
