PayPal has announced that it’s bringing its PayPal Here service to the UK and Europe, allowing simple payments by Chip and PIN through existing cards, or through a customer’s PayPal account.

PayPal Here is designed to make it possible to accept payments for those businesses that traditionally rely on cash or cheque. The portable Chip and PIN device will connect with the retailer’s mobile device to provide a secure data connection to enable the services, in collaboration with the PayPal Here app.

"Cash and cheques have served us all well over the years, but businesses that rely on them risk missing valuable sales. PayPal Here will let them offer their customers extra ways to pay, while saving them the hassle of taking cash and cheques to the bank," said Cameron McLean, managing director of PayPal UK.

Mark Thomas of Greedy Goat ice cream, a PayPal Here UK launch partner that trades at London’s Borough Market, added: "Cash is king in the market, but people run out of cash very quickly, and we often lose sales because customers can’t face the long weekend wait at the ATM."

Although the introduction of PayPal Here is primarily aimed at those businesses looking to adopt the new payment method, for customers, it means more ways to pay and added convenience when you don’t have any cash.

You can expect to see the PayPal Here system appearing in cafes, markets, restaurants, and because it's totally portable, even in use for those who make sales in the customer's home.

Launching initially in the UK over the next few months, PayPal Here will then be starting its march in to Europe. If you're a UK business interested in the system, you can register your interest at paypal.co.uk/here.