Barclaycard and Orange unwrap contactless credit card

First fruit of strategic partnership centred on mobile and NFC...

Barclaycard and Orange have launched a contactless credit card - the first fruit of a strategic partnership between the credit card company and network operator announced last year.

The contactless credit card (pictured below) includes <="" a="" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow"> technology, which enables users to make small payments of up to £10 by waving the card over an NFC reader - much in the same way London commuters pay for their journeys using an Oyster card.

The contactless credit card from Barclaycard and Orange
(Photo credit: Barclaycard)

The card also has a mobile tie-in - with automated SMS alerts to help customers keep track of their balance and payment due dates, and customisable SMS spending alerts, plus the ability to set spending caps and even block usage online, abroad and for high-value transactions.

The two companies announced their strategic love-in in March last year, with the stated aim of building new mobile, financial and payment services.

The contactless card is not the first time the mobile and financial industries have joined forces to offer new payment services. Last summer, O2 and NatWest launched two pre-pay Visa cards - albeit without an NFC component.

Mobile maker Nokia has also stepped up to the financial services plate with the launch last August of Nokia Money - a service offering basic financial services, such as person-to-person payments, to the unbanked via their mobile phones.