By Marcus Leach
Orange and Barclaycard have linked up to provide the first ever service that allows users to pay for purchases via their mobile phones.
Users who have a Orange phone and Barclaycard account will be able to set up their handset for contactless payments. Early firms to sign up to the 'Quick Tap' include McDonalds, EAT, Pret-a-Manger and some Boots stores.
The idea of the mobile wallet is gaining popularity around Europe, and it uses Near Field Communication (NFC). Although the Quick Tap is a collaboration between Orange and Barclaycard and will require a NFC-enabled Samsung Tocco Lite handset.
"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.
Only purchases up to a value of £15 can be made using the service but users can preload their mobile with up to £100.
