PayPal signs five to m-payments service in the UK

The brands will become the first to enable shoppers to use their mobile phones to buy items via PayPal's m-payments service, which was launched to its 10 million account holders in the UK in April.

The "Text to Buy" service enables customers to purchase advertised items by sending a text message containing a product code located in an advert. Items will then be delivered to addresses already saved in the buyers' PayPal accounts.

For businesses, PayPal mobile enables retailers to open a new channel to market, tapping into the firm's vast customer base.

Tom Girdham, national account manager for Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, says: "PayPal mobile payments is the first mobile service that has an established customer-base, which makes them an ideal partner for us."

Geoff Iddison chief executive officer of PayPal Europe, adds: "We have signed up some fantastic launch partners, a clear demonstration that retailers and media-owners are excited about the opportunities that mobile payments offer."

Earlier this month HMV said it was teaming with Digital Rum, a provider of mobile CRM software, to launch its "Txt2Buy" service which allows consumers to buy CDs, DVDs and games by texting a shortcode number that appear in HMV adverts.