We knew this was coming - and we also knew that we in the UK would be some way behind the 'cutting edge'. So it is that Microsoft has announced tap to pay with the second version of Microsoft Wallet for Windows 10 Mobile. In the USA. (And, obviously, for Redstone Insiders.) Which is fair enough, these things need plenty of testing, not to mention plenty of work done behind the scenes with the various payment companies. See the article quotes below.

Today, we are excited to introduce tap to pay with Microsoft Wallet to Windows Insiders (build 14360 or higher) in response to feedback from our customers and through the help of our partnerships with MasterCard and Visa. Microsoft Wallet is a cloud-based payment technology that will make mobile payments simple and more secure for Windows 10 Mobile devices, starting in the U.S. with our Lumia 950, 950 XL and 650, and usable in over a million retail locations; anywhere you see the contactless payment symbol or the Microsoft Wallet logo at the point of sale.

In our increasingly mobile and busy world, our on-the-go customers want to pay for their everyday purchases without the hassle of digging through their physical wallet. In our digital stores today, whether it’s Xbox, Office or the Windows Store, our customers enjoy the ease of signing in with a Microsoft account and having their secured payment information on hand to quickly and more safely purchase products. Our customers have asked us to extend similar experiences to their phones and we are excited they can now enjoy easy, more secure transactions with Microsoft Wallet and tap to pay on their Windows 10 Mobile phone. To help making shopping a breeze, Microsoft Wallet also provides one convenient place to store reward and membership numbers so all customers have to do is reference or scan them right from their phone.

For an ongoing list of banks and credit unions supporting Microsoft Wallet and more details about features as they roll out, please visit microsoft.com/wallet.

There's obviously a healthy degree of catch up going on here, but Microsoft hasn't done badly, it's not that long ago that Android Pay launched - so they're maybe a year behind the competition. But the playing field should be level in this regard by 2017.

Starting in the USA also makes sense, since in much of the world our debit/credit cards are already contactless and have the necessary chip, while in America tapping anything to pay is still something of a novelty.

The Wallet application is here in the Store if you don't already have it. Just don't expect the new version or Tap to Pay unless you meet all the conditions above!