Barclaycard steps up contactless card roll out

Barclaycard says it plans to issue over a million contactless payment cards across the UK in 2008 writes Finextra.com.
The bank launched its three-in-one OnePulse card, which includes a standard chip and PIN payment system, Oyster card functionality and Visa's 'wave and pay' contactless payment technology, in London last September (MPW 99, 100). At the same time Barclaycard began rolling out OneTouch, its in-store contactless payment acceptance technology.

Since then the roll out has been extended outside of the capital and there are now over 4000 retail outlets live with the technology across the country. Barclaycard says it wants to increase this to 20,000 stores by the end of the year. Retailers including EAT, Coffee Republic, Books Etc, Krispy Kreme and Yo! Sushi have installed the technology. Barclaycard says many others - including the National Trust - are also set to install the terminals.

"Many retailers and consumers are now realising the benefits of fast, secure contactless payments and we are confident that interest will continue to grow across the UK," says Elizabeth Chambers, chief marketing officer, Barclaycard.
In November Barclaycard revealed plans to trial m-payments as part of a pilot of mobile

Oyster transit scheme in London. The bank said it would credit 225 of the 500 phones to be used in the Oyster pilot with £200 worth of non-reloadable funds for making low value contactless payments at participating retailers.

In a separate move Barclays is opening a call centre facility in Wilton, Maine to support its US credit card operations. The facility, due to open in June, will initially employ 50 staff, with projected employment for 200 people over 10 years. The centre will offer customer support for people holding the 60 co-branded credit cards offered by Barclays in the US.