PayPal prepares Here mobile payments for European launch
updated 09:46 am EST, Fri February 22, 2013
Initial roll-out in UK uses new Chip & Pin device
PayPal is rolling out a new version of its Here mobile payments system for Europe. Starting in the UK, the payments service will be providing businesses a pocket-sized device that will offer Chip & PIN protection for payments through a retailer's mobile phone, instead of the triangular attachment used in the United States.
The new card-reading unit connects to an Android or iOS device over Bluetooth, with the dedicated PayPal Here app performing the main payment transaction itself. The separate device allows the customer to enter their PIN in without making contact with the merchant's mobile device, and resembles existing Chip & PIN payment systems on the continent.
The new version of PayPal Here will be trialed with a number of UK businesses before rolling out to other merchants and into Europe by the Summer. The card reader will be a one-off charge to retailers, currently unknown, followed by a small fee per transaction, something PayPal will reveal closer to launch.
