Orange and Barclaycard announce first Quick Tap Android Smartphone with the Samsung Galaxy SIII

Orange Samsung Galaxy SIII to be the first Android device to feature Quick Tap contactless payment technology
New and upgrading customers taking the Orange Samsung Galaxy SIII from 5th September will be able to load money securely onto their handset using any UK MasterCard, Visa, Debit or Credit Card
New and upgrading Orange Samsung Galaxy SIII customers who activate the service between 5th September and 5th October receive £50 to spend free
Orange and Barclaycard today announced plans to launch the first Android smartphone compatible with the Quick Tap contactless payments service. From the 5th of September, new or upgrading Orange Samsung Galaxy SIII customers with a UK MasterCard or Visa card can now use Quick Tap, enabling them to make mobile contactless payments nationwide.

From 5th September, Orange customers who take out the Samsung Galaxy SIII from Orange Shops, Orange telesales and via the Orange web site will be able to use their handset to make convenient and secure contactless payments of up to £20 by simply tapping their phone on the payment terminal at tills across the country. Getting up and running simply involves downloading an app and activating the secure Barclaycard service. Customers who activate the service between 5th September and 5th October 2012 will also receive £50 free to spend using their phone.

Simeon Bird, Director of Propositions, Orange UK, said: “We are really excited to be launching Quick Tap payments on one of the most popular smartphones of the year. Contactless mobile payments are a secure and convenient alternative to cash and cards and we are pleased to be the first network brand in the UK to offer its customers such an innovative service.”

Tom Gregory, Head of Digital Payments, Barclaycard, added: "Barclaycard is committed to making paying for things faster, safer and easier.  With the launch of Quick Tap payments on the Samsung Galaxy SIII, Barclaycard is bringing a safe and secure new way to pay to customers of all UK banks.  Mobile payments are safe and have a full fraud guarantee and we've seen ever growing numbers of people using contactless to make quick and secure payments of up to £20."

The Samsung Galaxy SIII with Quick Tap will be available from Orange shops, www.orange.co.uk  and via Orange telesales from 5th September 2012 on Pay Monthly plans. For £36 a month customers will receive unlimited minutes, texts and 1GB of data.

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Notes to Editors

Contactless payments are currently accepted in over 100,000 locations nationwide, including McDonalds, M&S, Co-op Food, Prêt a Manger, EAT, M6 Toll Road, Little Chef, Wembley Arena, Subway and Wilkinson when making purchases of up to £20.

Orange customers can load funds of up to £150 simply and securely onto their Quick Tap account, using any UK MasterCard or Visa debit or credit cards.  The user friendly payment app contains information such as account balance and purchase history so customers can keep an eye on their spending and manage finances easily on the go. Access to the app and transferring money is PIN protected and customers can choose to use a PIN when making payments in store.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII was highly anticipated and has proved to be hugely popular. The smartphone uses Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and has a crisp 4.8-inch 720p-resolution display, plus a quad-core processor. With new features including S-Beam and S-Voice, as well as face, voice and gesture-detection, an 8 megapixel camera and HD Voice for clearer calls.  The Orange smartphone has 16GB storage facility and also has a micros card.

For more information please visit www.orange.co.uk/quicktap

About Orange UK

Orange is the key brand of the France Telecom Group, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators. With almost 131 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates.

In the UK, Orange provides high quality GSM coverage to 99% of the UK population, and 3G coverage to more than 93%. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited.

On July 1 2010, the company became part of Everything Everywhere, one company that runs two of Britain's most famous brands - Orange UK and T-Mobile UK - with plans to transform the industry by giving customers instant access to everything, everywhere, offering them the best value, best choice and best network coverage in the country. Everything Everywhere Limited is the UK’s biggest communications company, with a combined customer base of almost 28 million people and more than 720 retail stores across the country. Everything Everywhere Limited is registered at Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9BW under the registered company number 02382161.

For more information please call the Orange Press Office 0870 373 1500, or visit www.orange.co.uk/newsroom