Visa is to pilot contactless payment this autumn for low value items at retailers to reduce the need for shoppers to carry cash.
The technology will first be implemented at fast food outlets, newsagents and coffee shops in central London before a possible rollout later this year.
It will allow shoppers to pay for low-cost products simply by touching their debit card on the item. The card will contain a smart chip that sends data via radio frequency and automatically subtracts amounts from the user’s account.
There will be a cap on how much can be spent on any transaction.
The technology has already been trialled in the US, where 10 million shoppers use the contacless card, and several Asian countries.
Transport for London (TfL) wanted to use its Oyster cards as a form of electronic money, but decided it was not economical.
What do you think? Email us at feedback@computing.co.uk
Further reading
Bank to cut queues with RFID cards
reader comments