• Overview of Visa payWave

• How it works

• Benefits for cardholders

• Apply for a Visa payWave card

• Take part in the London launch
• London postcodes where Visa payWave will be accepted

• Frequently asked questions

How it works

Visa payWave uses short range wireless communication technology.

Based on industry-wide standards and specifications, payment instructions are securely exchanged between a ‘contactless’ EMV (Europay,Mastercard, Visa) chip card and a standard card acceptance terminal equipped with a ‘contactless’ reader.

The cardholder ‘waves’ their Visa payWave card within five centimeters of the card-reader – and the transaction is completed in less than a second

For higher value purchases – for example, €15 (£10 in the UK – or when occasional security checks are required, a normal chip and PIN transaction is automatically initiated).