It pottered along without ever setting the digital payments world alight. Google Wallet launched in the US years ago. There are only 20 compatible devices in total, but if you've bought a high-end Samsung, Sony or HTC handset over the past three years, you should be covered. Shirking Apple's iPhone line, EE's contactless service is compatible with a number of leading Android devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S6, Sony Xperia Z3 and the HTC One M8. Again any bank account can be used, so unlike Apple Pay there's no waiting around for your Lloyds or HSBC account to be given the green light. Like bPay, EE Cash on Tap lets you simply load money onto the dedicated digital wallet app. You'll also need an NFC SIM and compatible handset, too. Long before Apple Pay came onto the scene, UK network provider EE was letting you tap your smartphone to contactless terminals in order to trade digital currency for goods and services.Īlthough not restricted to one brand of smartphone, you do have to be an EE customer to join the Cash on Tap fun. There's even an accompanying smartphone app (iOS and Android) that offers top-up options and instant access to your payment history. Payments are limited to £20 a pop and, like Apple Pay, bPay can be used at any UK retailer that has contactless payment terminals installed. While the wristband (£24.99) and key fob (£19.99) play host to NFC incorporating SIM cards, the sticker (£14.99) sports its own integrated NFC properties. Instead the Barclaycard service offers three payment options - a suitably unstylish wrist-based wearable, a key ring, and a smartphone-mountable sticker. Not limited to a single smartphone line or product category, bPay lets you send money from any bank account - you don't even need to be a Barclays customer - to a digital wallet that is then accessible across a number of devices.ĭon't want to pay with your phone? Good, with bPay you can't, at least not directly anyway. Given that Apple Pay only works with the most recent models of the Cupertino-based company's tech arsenal - we're talking iPhone 6, the oversized iPhone 6 Plus and the Apple Watch - it's never going to be the post-physical currency for all.įor those of you looking to ditch your wallet without adopting an iPhone, these are the best Apple Pay alternatives both available now, and heading to the UK soon.īarclays was a big name omission from the day-one Apple Pay UK support list, partly because of the bank's determination to push its own contactless payment service, bPay. Despite grabbing all the headlines, the Mac maker is far from the first to venture past coins and cards into the world of digital payments, and it certainly won't be the last.
In case you missed it, Apple Pay - Apple's contactless, mobile payment service - launched in the UK this week.
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