Boots is set to be the first high street retailer to trial a
contactless payment system.
The chemist is working with MasterCard to introduce a system
that will allow customers to pay amounts under £10 by touching
their MasterCard PayPass cards against terminals, without having to
enter a PIN.
Fifteen stores in London and six in Liverpool will trial the
technology in the second half of this year.
Boots says it is too early to say whether the system will be
rolled out nationally if the trials are successful.
A spokesperson said, "We are always looking for ways to make
shopping more convenient in our stores."
Barclaycard has led the rollout of the technology, which is
growing across the UK, with contracts to provide the service at
Pret A Manger, EAT, Yo! Sushi and Coffee Republic.
The company says it "welcomes" the contract between Boots and
Mastercard, but it was quick to release a statement pointing out it
has "the highest market share of contactless terminals in the
UK".
Mobile phones with the technology embedded in them will be on
the mass market by 2012, it added.