Barclaycard secures major advantage via exclusive deal with transit's Oyster Card

By Andy Williams, Contributing Editor

In London, MasterCard and Visa are in the midst of the world's largest contactless card launch to date but a smaller roll-out may have Londoners more excited as it involves their popular Oyster card. The Oyster card, which they use to ride the rails and buses, has been combined with a contactless and EMV-compliant credit card.

The bigger rollout, nicknamed the London Launch, has both credit card giants already rolling out cards in London that, by the end of 2008, are expected to blanket the UK. The contactless portion of the cards will handle payments of £10 or less.