The M6 Toll has worked with Barclaycard to install easy-to-use contactless payment terminals at toll booths, allowing customers to pay for their journey by simply holding their card over the terminal.

The roll out of contactless terminals follows a successful trial which saw waiting times lowered and the process of payment made simpler. Currently, all lanes designated for card payment are equipped with contactless readers.

Contactless payments allow users to pay for goods and services up to £20 by simply holding their card over a reader without the need to enter a PIN or sign their name. Given the low value of toll payments, it is exactly the kind of purchase that is well suited to contactless payments.

Eduardo Vergara, CEO Global Business Solutions, Barclaycard, says of the partnership:
"The contactless terminals at the toll payment plazas will not only cut queues, but will also help drivers avoid the frustrating scrabble for change. The range of places you can choose to pay more easily with contactless is rapidly increasing, and the number of outlets will reach 150,000 by the end of this year."

Tom Fanning, Chief Executive of the M6 Toll, expects contactless to prove popular with drivers: "Over 40,000 drivers benefit from the ease and reliability of the M6 Toll every day. On average, half of these drivers pay by card. The introduction of contactless is the latest step in making card payment as quick and easy as using the road itself. In helping bring this innovation to drivers, Barclaycard has been a perfect partner - working with us to implement the new system. Contactless payments are ideally suited to toll payments, as they serve to speed up the process and provide added convenience to drivers who I am sure will welcome this innovation."

The M6 Toll was opened in December 2003 and pioneered the acceptance of card payments at toll booths from that date. A deal signed last year with Barclaycard has meant that all caard transactions are now managed by the payments business.

Over 18.7 million contactless-enabled Barclays debit and Barclaycard credit cards are currently in circulation. Contactless cardholders are already able to make payments on any of the 100,000 contactless terminals across the UK provided by Barclaycard in outlets including Timpsons, Prêt a Manger, Wembley Arena and EAT. Visa predicts that the number of contactless point-of-sale terminals in the UK will rise by 50% to 150,000 this year.

Barclaycard recently launched a new contactless payment device, Barclaycard PayTag, the new way to pay with a mobile phone. Launched in April, Barclaycard PayTag works as an extension of a Barclaycard account and can be stuck to a mobile phone so customers can make quick, easy contactless payments.