From November, Orange Cash customers with compatible Android, Nokia or BlackBerry handsets will be able to make low-value payments at the point of sale with a tap of their phone.

The system is a combination of an Orange SIM and pre-paid mBank card and can be used at terminals branded with the MasterCard PayPass logo. The card is anonymous and does not require registration, but customers can choose to register it with mBank for free to get extra cash benefits.

The launch comes after a pilot involving several thousand Poles begun last year and is part of an aggressive push by the telco to roll out contactless payments throughout Europe.

Maciej Witucki, president, Orange Polska, says: "I'm convinced that thanks to the simplicity and convenience of Orange Cash, our customers will embrace the benefits of mobile NFC technology. This is the next step, where smartphones become something much more than just a device for talking, texting and accessing the Internet."