Google is about to let you pay for things using your smartphone in the UK

Californian tech giant Google is preparing to launch its contactless smartphone payments system in the UK, it announced on Wednesday.

The system, which is already available in the US, lets users with compatible smartphones use their devices to pay at retailers that have an NFC terminal installed.

Most banks' debit and credit cards now have contactless payment chips installed - and Apple Pay, Apple's own smartphone payment system, has been live in the UK since July 2015.

Britons who bank with HSBC, Halifax, Nationwide, Lloyds, Bank of Scotland, First Direct, and M&S Bank will all be able to use it on launch.

And it'll work anywhere standard NFC contactless tech terminals are already installed - from supermarkets to the London Underground.

So when should we expect it? The Telegraph had previously reported that Google was planning to launch Google Pay in the UK at the end of March. But Google is only saying that it will launch in "the next few months."

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