The roll-out of new technology in McDonald’s in the UK has led to a surge in contactless payments for fast food, with a third of cardholders using the system to pay for food in the last three months of 2011. This compares to 12% the previous quarter, according to figures collated by Visa.

The contactless system allows customers to scan their credit card over a special terminal (like that used for Oyster on London Underground) to make payments up to £15. The aim is to reduce the time it takes to pay, shortening queues in popular retailers.

But although contactless payments have now been available in the UK for two years, and there are 17m cards and 75,000 terminals, Visa admits a low acceptance level by retailers is still preventing usage from becoming an every-day habit.

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