Five things we learned about the way we eat now from Pret a Manger’s annual results April 19, 2016 There's no better barometer of the nation's eating habits and hottest foodie trends than Pret a Manger's yearly results. Last year, it was all about pulled pork and quinoa. This year, we're ditching the carbs and eating a hell of a lot of avocado… 1. Avocado king We knew avocado was having its moment (thanks, largely, to Instagram), but now [...]
Apple Pay: How does it work and is it any quicker? A guide for the new contactless payment system July 15, 2015 Apple Pay has finally arrived in the UK. Well, sort of. If you have the right iPhone and the right bank and you shop in the right place and if the sun is shining at just the right angle – then you can use Apple Pay (okay, we made the bit about the sun up). [...]
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announces first transport policy and statutory deputy mayor as Joanne McCartney May 10, 2016 Newly elected mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced his first major policy. The one hour bus "hopper" fare – which he pledged throughout his campaign – will start in September. Bus passengers who use Oyster cards or contactless payment will be able to take an extra bus within one hour and pay just one fare. Khan [...]
Barclays customers can now use Apple Pay… finally April 5, 2016 It's been a long old wait, but Barclays has finally jumped on board the Apple Pay bandwagon. Barclays is the last of the major banks to support Apple Pay in the UK, letting customers pay with just the swipe of their iPhone or Apple Watch. “Since we introduced contactless to the UK in 2007, it’s [...]
Visa shares slump as it changes Visa Europe deal April 21, 2016 Visa's shares skidded down nearly five per cent in after market trading after the credit and debit card giant cut its full-year revenue growth forecast. The company now expects full-year revenue to come in between seven to eight per cent, lower than its previous forecast of high single-digits to low-double digits. Read more: Visa's contactless payments soar [...]
Card payment to be accepted in every Black Cab in London February 3, 2016 Welcome to the 21st century, taxi-getters. Every Black Cab in London will be required to accept card payments from October this year, Transport for London has said. TfL has promised that customers will not be forced to pay a surcharge for using a card. TfL has also committed to working with the card industry to link card [...]
Card fees for paying for London taxis removed for all passengers April 5, 2016 Those using cards to pay for their London taxis will no longer have to pay a surcharge, in a move that will help keep the industry competitive against the likes of Uber. The move means passengers should never pay more than the amount shown on the meter due to the method of payment that is used. [...]
Why Google’s Android Pay UK launch is far more exciting than Apple’s May 18, 2016 Less than a year after Apple Pay reached the UK, Android Pay has landed. Since last July only a lucky few – those who own an Apple Watch or one of the recent raft of iPhones (including the SE) – could pay for goods and services via their phones. This was merely the green shoots [...]
Google’s Android Pay is coming to the UK, letting you pay with mobile on the Tube and across the high street, including Pret, Starbucks, Waitrose and more March 23, 2016 Users of Android will soon be able to use their smartphone to pay for items and even travel to work, as Google prepares to launch Android Pay in the UK following hot on the heels of Apple Pay. Google said it will roll out "in the coming months" with the backing of Britain's biggest banks, but did not [...]
Make £££ interest on top current accounts this year August 17, 2016 Savers have been dealt a double whammy of blows this month. The Bank of England cut interest rates from their already-record low of 0.5 per cent down to a paltry 0.25 per cent, which is likely to have an impact on the already poor levels of interest paid on savings accounts. The 0.5 level was considered [...]