O2 UK is closing its Wallet service on 31st March 2014, less than two years after first announcing it. The O2 Wallet enables customers on any network to send money from an existing debit or credit card to individuals or to retailers, rather like the Barclays Pingit service. This also means the end of the O2 Money Account Card; a physical Visa-branded NFC-enabled card linked to a customer’s O2 Wallet.
In a statement on the O2 Money web site, the company said “When we launched the O2 Wallet 18 months ago we were one of the first mobile wallets around. Since then lots has changed for us, the market and our customers. So, we've decided to close the O2 Wallet to give us time to look into new and better ways to help people manage their money on the move, both in the UK and abroad. It's been an exciting journey, so thanks for joining us. And it's not over yet - we'll let you know about any new innovations in the future.”
Any credit left in an O2 Wallet account will either be sent to the user’s registered bank account or returned by cheque.