According to The Verge, British subjects will be able to pay for four different government services using smart devices equipped with either the Apple or Google Pay features. The new services will be largely restricted to travel.
The digital transformation of U.K. government services has been gradual. In 2016, the U.K. online payments platform GOV.UK allowed users to for services using credit or debit cards for the first time. Government data suggests that in excess of 2.9 million transactions have been made so far using electronic money.
The services that will be covered by smart device payments are, according to Independent Television News, the Global Entry Service, which enables U.K. citizens to obtain expedited entry to the U.S.; the online disclosure and barring service checks,; the Registered Traveller Service and the Electronic Visa Waiver Service, which is designed for people in the Middle East coming to the U.K. This comes four years after Apple Pay was first launched into the U.K.
According to Till Wirth, lead product manager of the government’s web payment portals: “Allowing people to pay for Government services through Apple Pay and Google Pay means they won’t have to enter their credit or debit card information when making payments. ”
He adds: “This innovation will increase the convenience and security of gov.uk Pay for users and hopefully make their experience online a lot easier.”
If the pilot is successful, it is hoped that other central (and perhaps local) government services will be expanded to permit alternative forms of payment.