Visa has launched its digital wallet service V.me across Europe, giving Visa users the ability to pay with their mobile phones.
Several retailers including Clarks and Dixons have already signed up to the service, which is now available to consumers in the UK, France, Spain and Poland.
The Nationwide Building Society is the first bank to partner with Visa in the UK, with more expected later in 2014.
More retailers and partners ae set to come on board in a phased launch in the next few months, ahead of a full commercial launch and consumer marketing campaign in late 2014.
Visa said more than 1,400 merchants accept V.me today, with soon-to-launch retailers including Universal Music in the UK and Allopneus, Aquarelle, Brandalley, Leclerc Drive, Made.com and Pecheur.com in France.
Visa said that by January 2014 up to 4,000 merchants will accept the digital wallet. Visa has partnered with WorldPay in the UK, as well as Be2Bill, Lyra Networks, Monext, Paybox, System Pay and Worldline, an Atos subsidiary in e-payment services, in France.
The service will also be trialled in Ireland in 2014 and Visa said it will launch in other markets “soon”.
Digital wallets use near-field communication technology to communicate with card readers, in the same way contactless cards work.
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