Tesco customers now have a new way to pay. Is it any good?

From this week, Tesco customers will no longer need to take their wallet to the store - they can simply pay by flashing their phone.

After a successful trial, the company has expanded its mobile payments app, PayQwiq, to every Tesco store in the UK.

The app is available for both Android and iOS smartphones, and allows customers to pay for goods up to £250 - much more than the £30 limit for contactless cards - including in the store's petrol stations.

They can also collect their Clubcard points, with the balance displayed after each transaction.

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Once users have downloaded the app from the from the App Store or Google Play Store, they can register their credit or debit card to be able to make the instant payments.

At the till, whether manned or self-service, the phone will display a barcode which is scanned for the payment to be made.

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"PayQwiq offers customers a simple, convenient and secure way to pay that helps them save time at the checkout and collect Clubcard points with one simple scan of their smartphone," says Mark Loch, Digital Wallet and Group Payments Strategy Director.

"Since the initial roll-out of PayQwiq, customer feedback has been very positive and we are delighted to make PayQwiq available to all Tesco customers across the UK."

As a little encouragement, new PayQwiq customers downloading the app before 7th May will get 50 Clubcard points for each of their first 10 PayQwiq transactions.

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Payment using a smartphone is becoming more popular in the UK, with a recent survey from uSwitch indicating that one in ten of us has done it at least once, and 2% saying they pay with their phone whenever possible.

And Tesco isn't the only supermarket to be working on its own mobile payment app. There's a big incentive for them to do it, as - unlike with third party payment apps like Apple Pay - it gives them valuable customer data.

Sainsbury's is trialling a system called SmartShop, that lets customers make a shopping list at home, be guided to the products they want when they get to the store, and then pay at the till with their smartphone. And Walmart, which owns Asda, has a similar payment service in the US.

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The subtle manipulation starts as soon as you enter the store when you are assailed by the smell of flowers and fresh bread, which are often placed near the door. The smell is intended to put you in a good mood and to get your salivary glands working. You are also more likely to pick up these higher-ticket items when your cart is empty.

Similarly, fresh produce like fruit and vegetables (one of the most profitable sections at the supermarket) is also usually at the front because the bright colours are more likely to lift your mood than bland cartons and cans. Mist is sometimes sprayed on the fruit and veg to make them look fresh but can actually make them rot faster.