Over 10,000 terminals across the UK upgraded in time for summer celebrations

Over 10,000 terminals across the UK upgraded in time for summer celebrations

Thousands of merchants across the country will be able to take contactless payments from this week as HSBC Merchant Services is upgrading a proportion of its retailers’ payment systems.

The upgrade from HSBC Merchant Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of independent UK payment processor Global Payments, will upgrade the terminals of 10,000 merchants across the UK.

It also means that all new merchants signing up to provider’s card payments technology will be offered contactless readers, in addition to the existing merchants using its IWL 220 terminal. Existing customers using a different terminal can upgrade to the IWL for an additional charge.

Speeding up retail payments

The move is designed to allow thousands of additional customers to pay swiftly and safely using contactless cards during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the upcoming Olympic Games.

Chris Davies, managing director of HSBC Merchant Services, said: “We are constantly looking for new ways to help businesses and retailers to serve their customers.

“With the Jubilee and Games fast approaching, businesses across the country are busy preparing for the corresponding influx of custom. Our upgrade ensures merchants are fully equipped to deal with the requirement to process payments quickly and efficiently through a seamless contactless payment system.”