BP, Spar, Costa, Starbucks, Subway, Waitrose and M&S Simply Food are the major brands on UK forecourts which will accept customer transactions using Apple Pay, when it is launched in the UK later this month.

Apple Pay will enable consumers to use their iphones (6, 6 Plus and Apple Watch) to make purchases using contactless payment technology with in-built security features to make payment secure. The technology was launched in the US last October with 200,000 locations but will soon exceed one million.

Yves Bortolini, cards and payment manager at BP Oil UK, said: "BP started accepting contactless payment in 2013 and it has proven to be increasingly popular with customers. As we always aim to be at the forefront of innovation, BP will offer Apple Pay to give customers an easy, secure and private way to pay."

Spar UK managing director Debbie Robinson said: "Apple Pay will offer huge benefits to our customers. It also offers our Spar retailers huge benefits such as increased footfall, improved customer service and faster transactions in-store."