Mastercard PayPass system and the Barclaycard OnePulse card

Commenting on the launch of the Mastercard PayPass system and the Barclaycard OnePulse card, Rob Kenley, head of credit cards at price comparison website moneysupermarket.com, said: “These launches signal a new era for cards and payment technology.

“The Mastercard PayPass system, like Barclaycard OnePulse, will operate in a similar way to Oyster cards. The user will be able to simply tap or wave their card by the reader to pay for items under the value of £10 without entering a pin number or having to sign.

“However, OnePulse takes the concept further, combining three ways of paying for goods and services – the OneTouch payment method which uses contactless technology to pay for goods and services under £10, a prepay Oyster function for public transport within London, and chip and pin for purchases over £10.

“As with the introduction of chip and pin, we may see teething problems and we are yet to see how many more retailers will be able to accommodate OnePulse and PayPass after the initial roll-out. Providers might also want to offer a straightforward prepay facility for anyone who is concerned about mistakenly debiting their credit card account from a contactless payment.

“Despite potential drawbacks to the system, this is a welcome innovation that looks set to revolutionise the way we pay. We could well see this technology rolled out nationwide once any problems are ironed out.”