Orange and Barclaycard have formally launched 'Quick Tap', a contactless mobile payment service which allows consumers to make purchases on the high street using their mobile phone for the very first time.
Launching with a Quick Tap enabled version of one of Orange's best-selling devices, the Samsung Tocco Lite, the Samsung Tocco Quick Tap will be available on pay as you go and pay monthly price plans, with more handsets expected to follow from other device manufacturers in the coming months.
Barclaycard, Barclays debit or Orange Credit Card users can transfer funds of up to £100 onto the handset's Quick Tap app, after which the phone is ready to make payments of £15 and under in a single transaction. The device can be used at any retailer terminal capable of accepting contactless debit and credit cards.
The launch proposition will use a secure SIM-based approach to mobile payments, say the partners, with users having the option to enter a PIN on their handset before each transaction providing an additional layer of security.
Barclaycard says that contactless transactions via the phone benefit from the same 100% fraud guarantee as standard card transactions nationwide. If a customer cancels their phone because it is lost, damaged or stolen, no transactions can be completed.
The 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 on the go. To support the launch, Barclaycard is providing Orange customers with £10 cash added to their account upon activation, and 10% cash back on all Quick Tap purchases made in the first three months.
David Chan, CEO of Barclaycard Consumer Europe, says: "This is the first time that customers can use their mobile to pay for goods and services in shops across the UK rather than using cards or cash. They'll be able to do this, safe in the knowledge that this is a secure technology brought to them by the biggest names in payments and mobile technology.
Pippa Dunn, Orange VP, adds: "We no longer use our mobile phones simply for talking and texting - apps, cameras and music players allow us to use them for a lot more. So, making contactless payments with your mobile is a natural and really exciting innovation. It's going to start a revolution in the way we pay for things on the high street."
The launch comes the day after rival carrier O2 announced its plans to develop a mobile wallet that will ship later this year.