Orange and Barclaycard to launch Quick Tap contactless payments on Android handsets, as well as extending the service UK credit and debit card holders from all UK banks

Orange and Barclaycard have announced that the UK’s first contactless mobile payment service, Quick Tap, will shortly be available on select handsets which use the Android operating system, as well as to credit and debit customers of all UK banks. The move is part of the on-going evolution of the Quick Tap payment service and will allow even more consumers to benefit from easy, quick and convenient payments on the high street.
Orange will be announcing the first Quick Tap compatible payment handset that uses the popular Android operating system in the forthcoming weeks, with a series of further devices from a variety of manufacturers planned for launch throughout the year.
In addition, Barclaycard is introducing a new functionality, which will allow credit or debit card holders from any UK bank to connect to the Quick Tap service. This will be the first time that Quick Tap will be available to those without accounts with Barclaycard, Barclays or the Orange credit card. Customers can transfer up to a limit of £150 simply and securely directly from their account onto the Quick Tap app.
Once loaded with money, the mobile is then ready to make single payments of up to £15 (rising to £20 in June), by simply tapping their phone on a contactless terminal. The user friendly Barclaycard payment app, which sits on the home screen of all Quick Tap compatible handsets, contains information such as electronic statements detailing Quick Tap purchases so customers can keep an eye on their spending and manage finances easily on the go.
To date, over 100,000  payment  terminals have been enabled with contactless technology and contactless payments are already accepted at Prêt a Manger, EAT., Subway and McDonalds. By the end of 2012 it is predicted there will be over 130,000 places across the UK where people can make contactless payments, including household names such as Tesco, Waitrose, Boots, and Co-Op.
Commenting on the announcement, David Chan, CEO of Barclaycard Consumer Europe, said: “Barclaycard and Orange have led the industry by introducing the first mobile contactless system in the UK, and with today’s announcement we have reached another milestone with Barclaycard giving customers of any bank the opportunity to make quick and easy payments with their phone. We strongly believe that mobile contactless will change the way we pay and that is why we’re opening the technology up so that everyone can choose to join the payments’ revolution.”
He adds: “Now available to all UK customers, and soon to be to be available on a range of the most advanced mobiles in the market, Quick Tap will help consumers monitor what they’re spending, make simple payments and, as a result of the 100% fraud guarantee on all contactless products, ensure that if you lose your phone, you won’t lose your money.”
Jason Rees, Director of Mobile Payments and Ticketing, Orange UK, said: “We’re continually looking for ways to go that extra mile for our customers, and so are really pleased that we will be offering the Quick Tap payments service on the UK’s fastest growing mobile operating system.”
“When combined with the ability to use it with credit or debit cards from all the major UK banks, then even more people will be able to experience the simplicity and convenience of shopping with their mobile.”
Quick Tap has been developed and rigorously tested to ensure customers’ transactions are protected and secure, with users having the option to enter a PIN on their handset before each transaction providing an additional layer of security.   Quick Tap uses a secure SIM-based approach to mobile payments, providing a single point of contact for customer care as well as ensuring enhanced payment security for customers.
Contactless transactions using Quick Tap also benefit from the same 100% fraud guarantee as standard card transactions.
Quick Tap payments are currently available on the Samsung Tocco and Samsung Wave 578. For more information on Quick Tap, please see www.orange.co.uk/quicktap