Samsung’s new Quick Tap NFC tech-equipped smartphone, the Samsung Wave 578, allows users with Orange Credit Card, Barclaycard and Barclays debit card to pay for goods at as many as 50,000 UK stores via the phone.

Users can load up to £100 on the smartphone and can make payments of up to £15 at one time in compatible stores across the country. The list of stores that have signed up for the new service includes McDonalds, Eat, Little Chef and Subway.

Speaking about the new handset, Barclaycard CEO David Chan said, “Paying with a mobile phone means never being without the right change, and always having access to funds. That’s why I believe contactless mobile is the future of payments.”

Apart from NFC technology, the smartphone comes with several striking harware and software features like that of 3.2-inch resistive touchscreen, a 3.2-megapixel rear-facing camera, MP3 Player, FM Radio, 3G, Bluetooth and Built-in GPS.

The handset runs Samsung’s own Bada operating system, and offers a strong battery life- 20 days of stand by and 7 hours of talk time.

Orange will offer the Samsung Wave 578 on pay-as-you-go as well as contract when the handset will be released with the next few weeks. Pricing will be confirmed before its launch.