Scousers to go contactless on the buses

MasterCard makes a PayPass at capital of culture

By Jo Best, 21 October 2008 12:59

NEWS

'Wave and pay' tech of the kind seen in London's Oyster card is now on its way to Liverpool.

Scousers are set to use contactless bankcards on a number of buses in Merseyside, following the announcement of a pilot of the technology by Stagecoach, MasterCard and The Royal Bank of Scotland.

As part of the trial, MasterCard PayPass cardholders will be able to pay for any ticket under £10 by tapping their NFC-enabled bankcard against an on-board reader, as well as paying for small purchases at any retailers that carry the PayPass reader.

Wireless from A-Z

Click here for all there is on wireless, from email to WiMax.

The Liverpool trial, scheduled to last for a year, will see 200 buses from 11 routes fitted with contactless card tech.

Londoners are already able to use their credit cards to pay contactlessly for their transport, after Barclaycard launched its OnePulse card last year, which packs both credit card and Oyster card functionality.

The card company is currently in negotiations to add more retailers and plans to expand its range of contactless cards.

Meanwhile, Transport for London is also exploring adding more contactless payments methods, with a trial of Oyster-enabled mobile phones.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

Log in or create your silicon.com account below

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Membership FAQ