Visa Europe has secured the backing of a number of major UK banks and retailers for a widespread summer rollout of its V.me digital wallet for online shopping.
V.me lets registered users make secure online payments to participating merchants with just a username and password, removing the hassle of having to enter card account number, bill-to and ship-to information for every transaction.
The service was initially launched in the UK back in late 2013 with Nationwide Building Society, but is now finally getting a wider audience, with banks representing 55% of the UK’s 130 million cards onboard for a national rollout beginning in June.
A host of new retailers, led by Iceland, Costco.co, and Arcadia Group, owners of Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, and Miss Selfridge, are also committed.
Wendy Martin, executive director, V.me by Visa, says: "A recent study by Accenture found that almost half of consumers surveyed plan to increase the number of their online purchases in the future, so we think that the V.me digital payment service is as important for the online environment as contactless is in the face-to-face environment."