Visa Europe has announced that Currys and PC World is to accept payments on its online retail sites using Visa's V.me digital wallet when it goes live in the UK at the end of 2013.

The payments technology firm's PayPal rival will allow users to complete online transactions through an internet browser on a PC, tablet or smartphone - with apps for the last two also planned. It will store multiple debit and credit card details, not just Visa, and the retailer will not have access to any of the details, providing one of the safest ways to pay for goods online.

One of its key features is a streamlined online checkout experience which, Visa claims, is "designed to reduce basket abandonment and, in turn, increase sales conversions for merchants".

Signing up with one of the UK's largest online retailers represents a major step in Visa's tricky battle in getting Brits to choose V.me over PayPal or one of the other already established digital wallets.

"The retail community is incredibly important to us and we've designed V.me by Visa to improve sales for retailers. V.me by Visa is fully optimised for mobile e-commerce, easy to use and gives shoppers confidence and peace of mind when they pay online because we shield their card details," said Duncan Olby, senior vice-president, Visa Europe. "We're delighted to have Dixons Retail on board to help us improve the online shopping experience for customers in the UK."