One of the leading mobile network operators and mobile phone carriers operating in the United Kingdom, Orange has reportedly teamed with South Korea based electronics firm Samsung and Barclaycard for launching a virtual wallet that turns a mobile phone to be used for making contactless payments.

Quick Tap a system for contactless payments that can be used in Samsung Tocco mobile phones has been developed by Orange and Barclaycard. This (Near Field Communications) should be the first commercial payment system to be based on a mobile handset in the United Kingdom.

A special pad linked to the retail outlets' cash registers has been used by the contactless payment systems. A debit is automatically made through the Barclay's credit or debit card network once a mobile phone integrated with the Quick Tap application is held 4 inches of the pad.

The debit automatically made through the Barclay's debit card network or Barclaycard credit card is potential of making purchases of up to a maximum of GBP 15.

As of now this development can only be deemed as a field pilot, since just 50,000 retail outlets across the United Kingdom are equipped with the contactless payment systems compatible reader pads, and the GBP 15 limit is quite restrctive.