Oyster and Barclaycard launch a joint Travel/Visa card

December 16, 2006

A new card has been introduced combining both Oyster and Barclays services in addition to contact free cashless payments.

Oyster have managed to secure exclusive rights to be included on Barclaycard and Barclays Connect Visa cards for a minimum of next three years.

The card will feature BOTH the chip and PIN function and contactless payment option for low-value transactions.

Oyster introduced their travel card in 2003, now there are 6million cards and 38million journeys are made each week across London making travelling/commuting much quicker, easier and cheaper than before.

Oyster enables passengers to buy tickets online thus avoiding queues. Furthermore Oyster pay-as-you-go will save you money as it is always cheaper than cash fares.

This really is the first of its kind in UK- the first travel and payment combined card

The new Barclaycard will have three main functions:

• chip and PIN credit card facility
• new visa wave-and –pay technology for contactless payments up to the value of £10
• Oyster

How will it work? Cardholders will wave card over contactless reader for low cost transactions of £10 and under. It is expected this ‘wave and pay’ technology will reduce transaction times and prove to be a much quicker way to buy every day items such as coffee and newspapers while commuting through London.

Barclaycard’s CEO reminds us of the huge success of the Oyster card and believes combining Oyster with Barclaycard in this innovative joint venture can only make life much easier for Londoners and as a society bring us one step closer to fully contactless payments on a larger scale.

Having the Visa logo on the card automatically awards it credibility and universal distinction.

Trials are expected to take place in February 2007 with hopes to introduce it on a larger scale by summer 2007.