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United Kingdom-based credit card issuer Barclaycard plans to renew its contactless-payments push following a disappointing first year in the business, according to Barclaycard CEO Antony Jenkins. In a statement issued Monday, Jenkins promised more contactless investment and an eventual "revolution in the way people pay." The statement follows an interview published over the weekend in the UK-based Sunday Telegraph in which Jenkins said the issuer would try to "kick start" contactless payments in the UK. The paper reported that Barclaycard would make a "six-figure" investment in contactless cards and would offer to help retailers roll out the technology. Barclaycard, a unit of UK-based Barclays PLC, has said it plans to issue more than 1 million contactless cards by the end of the year (CardLine Global, 4 Sept). So far, Barclaycard has issued about 100,000 contactless cards, a spokesperson for the issuer tells CardLine Global sister publication Cards&Payments. Major UK issuers, including Barclaycard and the Royal Bank of Scotland, have issued about 340,000 contactless cards as of May, according to UK-based payments association APACS. At least 5,000 merchant locations in the UK accept contactless cards, according to estimates. Jenkins told the paper he expects 9,000 more shops to accept the cards by the end of the year. Barclaycard in September 2007 launched its multiapplication OnePulse card, which carries a Visa payWave contactless credit application, a separate Oyster transit purse for London subway trains and buses, and a chip-and-PIN feature for higher-value retail purchases. The issuer backed up the launch with a £5 million (US$8.8 million or 6.2 million euros) promotional campaign, Cards&Payments has reported. In his statement, Jenkins said Barclaycard is working on "paperless" ticketing applications that customers might use to enter cinemas or for train trips, along with mobile services.
