Barclaycard has revealed a contactless payments device that users can stick to any object, such as their mobile phone.
The PayTag device uses near-field communications (NFC) technology to authenticate payments worth under £15. It is essentially the same contactless payment technology that is now embedded in many credit and debit cards, but in a smaller, adhesive form factor.
Barclays suggests that the NFC tag, named PayTag, which is one third the size of a normal credit card, can be stuck to the back of user’s smartphone, although it could just as easily be placed anywhere else. The tag does not communicate with the user’s phone.
David Chan, CEO of Barclaycard Consumer Europe, said the company is currently working on a range of ways to leverage mobile payments. "Barclaycard PayTag is another milestone on our journey to make paying easier," he said.
Other mobile payment initiatives in the UK include Barclay’s PingIt app, which lets users transfer money to others using only their phone number.
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Mobile telecommunications provider Orange has partnered with Barclaycard to provide Quick Tap, an NFC payments technology that also allows users to store information in ‘tags’.
Meanwhile, the Payments Council is building mobile payments infrastructure that will allow users to approve direct bank transfers between accounts using only their mobile phones.
