News

McDonald’s UK goes contactless

January 18, 2011

McDonald’s U.K. is ready to make no-contact. The chain is set to roll out contactless card payments in all 1,200 units by this summer, according to Marketing Magazine.

The new system is being launched in partnership with Visa Europe. It will allow customers to use a contactless-enabled card to make a payment for tabs that cost less than 15 pounds (about $24).

All McDonald’s units will be equipped with a wireless reader that accepts these cards. Additionally, Visa Europe has implemented new security measures for the system.

Currently, Visa and MasterCard are the only contactless-enabled cards available in the United Kingdom. No other quick-service chains in the U.K. have this capacity in all of their outlets at this time.

Contactless cards have started to catch on in other parts of the world, however. McDonald’s Australia adopted the technology in late 2010. Swiss McDonald’s units began the process in 2007.

In the U.S. many chains have rolled out contactless systems, including Tim Horton’s, Dairy Queen and Jack in the Box.