I used the PayPass feature of my MasterCard this week to pay for breakfast at the Pret A Manger on Trafalgar Square, London. The technology was announced in 2007 but roll-out has been slow.

The manager at Pret had to be summoned when I asked whether it was possible to use the new contactless payment system mounted into the shop counted. “It should work was the response”, and sure enough, it did.

PayPass is a Mastercard’s answer to cash and is designed for small transactions that otherwise generate queues when chip and pin is used. Systems have reportedly been installed in Books Etc, Coffee Republic, Eat, Krispy Kreme, McDonalds, the Science Museum, Threshers and Yo! Sushi.

The contactless system can be used for purchases under £10. It works in the same way as an Oyster card: the card’s embedded chip is read when it is scanned passed over a reader and the account debited. Occasionally you may be askedto enter your PIN to verify that you are the card owner.

Its simple, effective and quick. What we need next is for PayPass to be incorporated in a mobile phone. According to MasterCard its on its way. In the meantime if you’ve got a PayPass enabled MasterCard and you spot a reader ask the retailer if you can use it as the payment method and try it out.