Pepare for the next generation of card payments
PAYING for your shopping using your smartphone just got even easier as Mastercard expands the reach of its mobile payment app.
Contactless payments are available in many shops
The humble credit and debit card may be a step closer to extinction thanks to a new announcement from Mastercard.
The company has revealed a major expansion to its Masterpass digital wallet service that will allow customers to pay using contactless technology for the first time.
Going forward, Masterpass should now work seamlessly on your smartphone, wearable device or tablet, letting you pay online, in-store, or using the NFC-enabled app with just one touch.
Masterpass makes paying for goods using your smartphone even easier
Mastercard says that the new service, which links to your current account, is perfect for a wide ranges of use cases, from paying for the tube in the morning to splitting the bill at lunch and ordering your weekly shop online.
Banks will also be able to build Masterpass into their own apps, bringing together all your various digital payment methods and apps in one place.
The company says that around 80 million people around the world will be able to benefit automatically from the new service, which launches in the US today before expanding to Europe later next year.
The convenience of contactless
The news comes as competition in the mobile payment market continues to increase, as big players such as Apple and Samsung throw their weight behind the technology.
Since its launch in 2014, Apple Pay has helped popularize the idea of paying for good using a mobile phone in the UK, with thousands of businesses across the country supporting the technology.
Apple Pay will also be coming to desktop devices as part of the company's macOS Sierra and iOS 10 updates.