BT has announced Barclaycard Payments as its most recent business to join its new partnership which helps UK micro businesses grow.

Barclaycard has signed up to BT’s partnership network, following The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) with the goal of delivering benefits for small firms over the next year.

The benefits are subject to change, but they currently include: Barclaycard business customers can receive up to £100 off the upfront cost of an EE business handset and two per cent Cashback for BT business customers who use their Barclaycard business card to pay for any BT or EE services.

The new partnership network is designed for micro-businesses with five employees or less, aims to give perks to customers and help their businesses grow. 

FSB members can also claim up to £250 towards BT’s Digital Marketing Hub which provides businesses with a platform to create digital marketing campaigns across social media, using AI to drive results.

New opportunities

BT’s MD for Soho Chris Sims said: “We want technology, skills and expertise to be as accessible as possible for small businesses, and our partnerships with Barclaycard and FSB will provide our customers with exclusive offers and benefits across broadband, mobile, digital marketing and connected devices over the coming year. 

“We look forward to adding more partners to our partnership network over the coming weeks to offer an even broader range of benefits to our customers.”

The British public has spent over £60 billion using contactless payment methods since launch in 2007, spend is predicted to surge 317 per cent by 2021.

This is according to global payment firm Barclaycard celebrating the tenth anniversary of contactless payments in the UK. It said 51 per cent of transactions in the UK under £30 is via contactless technologies.

Contactless technology allows consumers to go ‘cashless’ using smartphones and cards to pay for goods up to a limit of £30 per transaction.

According to research from Barclaycard on 509 retailers (252 with contactless), 2,003 UK adults in July, two thirds (64pc) of consumers use devices to pay. One in six (16pc) retailers offer contactless payments, with 28pc planning on implementing the technology in the next five or more years.

However, 10pc are looking to introduce the technology in the next six months.

In the past 12 months clothing stores, parking lots and department stores saw the most contactless transactions (see boxout).

Beginnings

Barclaycard introduced the fist contactless payment card the Barclaycard OnePulse ten years ago (Sep 1).

It allowed consumers to pay for goods up to £10 at 6,000 retailers nationally. The OnePulse saved consumers an average of seven seconds per transaction.

In 2008 the firm reported a rise in contactless payments reporting 160,000 transactions across the year. That figure more than doubled to 360,000 in 2009. Over £1 billion was spent annually for the first time in 2013, leading to the spending limit rising to £30 in 2015.

Touch and go

Barclaycard mobile payments director of innovation and partnerships Tami Hargreaves said: “Our data shows that the uptake and usage of contactless payment technology continues to grow, with paying by ‘touch and go’ now the preferred way to pay for many Brits. We’re looking forward to continuing to innovate by introducing a number of new initiatives over the next 10 years!”

Barclaycard has teamed up with Case Station to insert its bPay contactless chip into its products.

All Case Station cases have been made to discreetly hold the chip, which will allow users to make ‘touch and go’ payments for £30 and under whenever they see a contactless symbol.

The bPay chip links to a secure digital wallet on the mobile and can be used by anyone holding a UK-registered Visa or MasterCard debit or credit card.

Users can add funds to the wallet using the mobile app or online through the bPay web portal, or by setting up an automatic top-up which will add money when their balance falls below a pre-set level.

The new range of cases are compatible with a range of devices, including Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and LG models, which can be ordered through the Case Station website. They will then be dispatched within 48 hours.

Barclaycard commercial director of digital consumer payments Tami Hargreaves said: “Launched in 2015, bPay is the ideal addition to the Case Station range as it instantly turns your phone into a way of making simple, flexible and secure contactless payments for everyday purchases.

“bPay is about giving customers choice and this new range offers them a convenient alternative to other mobile payment options.”

Alcatel has teamed up with Barclaycard that will see the first 20,000 units of the POP 4 smartphone boxed with contactless payment compatibility.

The POP 4, which will be available from Carphone Warehouse during the first week of July, will come with a bPay sticker that will enable users to make contactless payments using the device at over 400,000 locations nationwide.

The sticker, which normally costs £14.99, is attached to the back of the phone and links to a digital wallet where users can upload between £5 and £200 at a time from any UK registered Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card.

By touching the POP 4 on a contactless reader, they will be able to make secure payments of £30 or under.

A dedicated app, downloadable from Google Play, enables users to view real-time balance updates and provide them with instant access to their transaction history. Also included is an automated top-up system that adds funds to their account when the balance falls below a pre-set level.

The POP 4, which was unveiled at Mobile World congress in February, will cost £79.99 on prepay and be free on contracts costing £9.50 and above.

Also, we take a look at cyber security, and speak to What Mobile reporter Manny Pham, who spoke to white hat hacker Steve Lord about how to keep your smartphone safe.

Finally, New Way International is set to bring Xiaomi handsets to the UK for the first time.

Visa Europe and Barclaycard have joined the line-up of top companies at Mobile News’ conference “Wearables & Accessories: Analysing Opportunities” to be held at top venue 30 Euston Square in London on November 17.

Barclaycard VP head of retail Rob Morgan and Visa Europe head of contactless Nick Mackie will be discussing the impact of wearable technology on mobile payments.

Other confirmed speakers include Microsoft’s product marketing director (new device experiences) Leila Martine, Griffin managing director Neil Edwards, Beecham Research Fashion Tech Analyst Claire Duke-Woolley and Exertis sales director (mobile) Simon Woodman.

Challenges

The conference is a one-day B2B forum to identify challenges for the mobile channel in the wearable and accessories sectors.

It is part of Mobile News’ ‘Beyond Mobile’ series of channel events exploring strategies and discussion, charting technological developments and analysing roadmaps in the mobile channel. It follows a similar sold-out event held a year ago.

Discount

Early-bird discounted tickets are available for £88 (plus VAT) until September 30. This includes drinks reception, refreshment throughout the day, buffet lunch, and conference documentation. Book your delegate places here.

Barclaycard has launched three new wearable payment devices that allow UK consumers to make contactless payments at more than 300,000 locations.

Three devices – a wristband, fob and sticker – can be purchased and linked to Barclaycard’s bPay digital wallet which can be topped up by any Mastercard or Visa debit or credit card to pay.

Contactless transactions have a limit of £20 per transaction currently although the payment method’s popularity will see that limit increased to £30 from September. There were 319 million contactless payments made in 2014, a yearly rise of 331 per cent. They totalled £2.32 billion.

The devices come in a number of different form factors and prices. The most expensive is the ‘durable and adjustable’ bPay wristband which costs £24.99.

The bPay fob, which can be attached to a key ring or bag, costs £19.99 and a sticker which can be put on any flat surface costs £14.99.

All devices are linked to an online portal and smartphone application which allows users to top up their balance and view their transactions in real-time.

The devices go on sale on 1 July and can be purchased from bpay.co.uk, as well as from Cycle Surgery and Runners Need outlets nationwide.

“We’re in the midst of a sweeping change in the way we pay, with cash-dominated transactions being replaced by ‘touch and go’ contactless technology that has made it easier, safer and faster to make low-value payments,” said Barclaycard digital consumer payments managing director Mike Saunders.

Making wireless payments using near field communication technology (NFC) is failing to catch on in the UK.

This is according to industry experts, who were asked by Mobile News why the technology, which has been discussed for the best part of a decade, has had only a minimal impact here to date.

NFC has proved popular in other parts of the world, particularly in parts of Africa, Europe and Asia, since the technology launched commercially in 2010.

The expectation surrounding NFC, which allows two-way contact between devices by touching them or placing them close to one another, is still high.

To make a payment using NFC users typically require a ‘mobile wallet’ service on their phone, which stores their back details. Tapping the device against a wireless payment terminal completes the transaction.

According to Juniper Research, NFC will account for around $50 billion in transactions by 2014. And research from Berg Insight shows sales of NFC-equipped handsets increased tenfold to 30 million in 2011, with numbers expected to reach
700 million units by 2016.

More than 20 countries are expected to roll out NFC services by the end of 2013.

It was initially thought that NFC had strong potential. More than 140,000 contactless payment terminals in the UK were set up to accommodate wireless payments, of which mobile was expected to play a major role.

But according to those we have spoke to, the service is yet to hit the heights many had hoped for, and wireless terminals are being used almost exclusively for wireless card payments. So why is this?

Not ready for change
Analysts describe the UK as still being in a largely trial stage for NFC, but efforts have been made to get the public on board.

Orange partnered with credit card firm Barclaycard in March last year to become the first UK network to offer NFC payment services through its Quick Tap product.

This enables customers to pay for items such as festival and bus tickets using their NFC handset, which can be topped up with a debit or credit card.

The Quick Tap app keeps a record of all payments, allowing users to monitor their spending. They can add up to £100 credit at a time, and the maximum single Quick Tap transaction is £15.

Orange has since made attempts to increase customer NFC usage by launching Quick Tap treats, which allow customers to receive free gifts, such as food and drink in EAT stores, by tapping their handset on a specially designed poster.

But CCS Insight analyst Digantam Gurung says the service is yet to catch on as there are too many restrictions in place hampering widespread adoption.

These include limited availability of NFC-enabled handsets – at launch only the Samsung Tocco was compatible, and users had to have a Barclaycard account to use the service.

Gurung also argues the offerings available to consumers are not appealing enough to encourage them to make the switch from tried-and-tested card payments.

“When Orange launched Quick Tap they promoted it for a while, but it hasn’t taken off in the way they expected,” he said.

“It was steering consumers to something there wasn’t really demand for in the first place – you could use it like your bank card but that was about it.

“NFC has taken off in Japan and Turkey, but we’re still in a very early stage here – trials are still going on and people need to be persuaded of how useful it is.”

Ovum principal analyst Eden Zoller agrees there are still a number of barriers holding back the wide-scale adoption of NFC payments.

Zoller says for consumers to adopt NFC services they need to be easy to access and appealing, but he adds the UK is still some way from achieving this.

An investigation by Mobile News in a number of NFC-ready outlets revealed staff had little to no knowledge of the technology.

Zoller claims this is why NFC payments often take longer than those made by card or cash.

He says: “Although support for NFC payments is improving, there are a number of significant barriers that must be overcome.

“Most consumers have yet to embrace mobile payments, and if NFC solutions are to act as a catalyst for this change they need to be more convenient and useful than existing contactless solutions.

“At the moment most NFC payment solutions are not. In fact, NFC payment solutions often require more actions and steps from a consumer than contactless cards.”

Zoller also fears businesses could be holding up the widespread adoption of NFC by choosing not to invest in the technology.

He believes many are unwilling to gamble on an untried payment model that so far lacks penetration in the market.

“Merchant POS terminals, even those that currently support contactless payments, need some level of upgrade to support NFC mobile payments,” he says.

“This requires investment, and merchants are understandably reluctant to invest in NFC POS when the penetration of corresponding handsets is still low.”

NFC handsets
The lack of NFC-compatible handsets in the UK is a key stumbling block in the roll-out of the technology.

But that is now beginning to change at considerable speed, with the majority of handset manufacturers now releasing devices with NFC capabilities.

Everything Everywhere director of new business Jason Reese, whose department covers mobile payments, admits his company’s efforts to release NFC-ready handsets for use with its NFC Quick Tap services have been slow until now.

However, he says the feedback the network has received about the offering has been positive, and he expects retailers and customers alike to embrace the loyalty element of mobile payments.

“Customer loyalty will play a big part in the adoption of NFC payments,” he told Mobile News. “Things like getting discount vouchers or free offers on your phone, which you can then tap your phone in store to redeem.”

Reese also dismisses concerns about security when using a handset to make payments, claiming the technology is safer than carrying a wallet.

He explains: “Some people have perceived it’s even more secure than chip and PIN and losing your wallet.

“If you lose either of these, you have to make lots of calls and worry about what you have lost inside. But if you lose your mobile phone you only have to make one phone call.”

Full article in Mobile News issue 522 (September 10, 2012).

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From zero to four in a matter of months, there are already very tough choices to be made when choosing which of the new dual-core smartphones to invest your hard-earned in.

Everything needs an edge, and just as Samsung was about to ship the Galaxy S II, news surfaced of HTC’s Sensation with a 1.2GHz dual-core processor – outdoing the Samsung by 0.2GHz.

With Samsung’s ability to get products to market quickly, the manufacturer seemed unfazed by this news and simply decided to boost the Galaxy S II processor to match the HTC’s. Job done.

However, the models destined for the UK then lost NFC – although not necessarily because of the speed boost. We’re told there’s no NFC hardware inside the phone at all, so don’t expect a software update to magically enable it later on.

Given Samsung has launched an NFC-enabled handset for the new Orange ‘Quick Tap’ service, run in conjunction with Barclaycard, this does seem like a rather odd move, and also means we can probably expect an updated model later in the year that restores this feature.

If you’re keen to be ready for mobile payments, you may have to hold on (or opt for the Samsung-built Google Nexus S) but we’re not sure if NFC is going to be big enough in 2011 to warrant waiting for.

Of the current dual-core smartphones, many have unique stand-out features, like the Motorola ATRIX’s biometric fingerprint reader, or the qHD-resolution display present on both the Motorola and HTC’s Sensation – the latter also having the excellent HTC Sense enhancements.

The Galaxy S II, especially without NFC, only wins out by being the slimmest dual-core model. The other feature is the incredibly bright AMOLED screen, which Samsung calls ‘Super AMOLED Plus’.

The phone isn’t heavy, either, at just 116g, although this is as a result of being constructed from fairly cheap materials.

Missing the grade
While the Galaxy S II may be Samsung’s fl agship smartphone, it just doesn’t come close to the premium feel of the HTC Sensation. However, anyone that liked the original Galaxy S and is ready to upgrade, will feel comfortable that the next model hasn’t made any radical changes.

There’s still the centre ‘home’ key that probably helped attract all that unwanted attention from Apple, and two hidden touch-sensitive keys for menu and back.

These can be illuminated if you want, either permanently or for a limited time, but once you know which is which, it looks quite slick having the lighting disabled completely.

On the back of the phone, you have an eight-megapixel camera that can also record HD video at both 720 and 1080P resolutions. With the incredibly bright and somewhat over-saturated OLED display, your pictures and videos will look really vivid when viewed back, but this will probably lead to some disappointment when viewed on a normal monitor or TV, via HDMI, where the colours are far more neutral.

The Samsung is the only dual-core phone to use an OLED screen, and while it is absolutely gorgeous to look at (and so bright that it can still be clearly viewed in the midday sun), it’s somewhat unnatural. If you’ve used a TV that has a range of picture presets, how often do you select ‘vivid’? Probably not that often, unless you want everything you see and do to look like you’re watching a Pixar movie.

But what of the phone’s performance? This is where the Samsung shows o its power, as it is highly responsive.

Navigating around the homescreen and menus is instantaneous, and it’s only when scrolling quickly up and down through lists that you can spot some jerkiness in the scrolling, but that’s probably only down to bad graphic drivers.

Samsung also has its own front-end UI set-up that is similar to HTC Sense, but not quite as advanced, even in its V4.0 incarnation. There are no fancy 3D transition e ects or downloadable themes and skins. You can, however, change the typeface, which is, to date, a feature only available on LG and Samsung handsets.

There are also a number of power saving options, along with the ability to remotely lock, track and wipe the device if gets lost or stolen, which is where it shares some functionality with the HTC, or a Motorola running Motoblur.

Full article in Mobile News issue 494 (July 18, 2011).

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