As reported late July, London Underground, DLR and Overground trains are to accept contactless payments.
From 16 September, customers will be able to tap their contactless debit card to pay for
EE launches contactless payments on Transport for London
transport, complementing the existing Oyster card system. In support of this, mobile network operator EE has set out plans to expand its Cash on Tap app so that it can be used on the Underground network.
The app uses NFC to facilitate payments. According to EE, when the contactless payment scheme launches in September the app will be compatible with half a million Android devices – meaning EE customers can use their smartphone as a link to a bank account, allowing the phone itself to become a contactless card.
“As more and more people benefit from the simplicity, convenience and security that mobile contactless payments offer, it’s rapidly becoming clear that the days of the physical wallet are fast becoming numbered,” comments Gerry McQuade, chief marketing officer at EE.
“This is a major step for contactless cards,” continues Graham Peacop, managing director at the UK Cards Association. “Usage is already growing rapidly this year with London leading the way, and the introduction of contactless payments across the capital’s transport network means we expect this surge to continue.”
According to the UK Cards Association, there were 24 million contactless transactions during Q1 2014 inside the M25 motorway. This compares against 45.6 million transactions nationally during the same period.
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