Apple has streamlined using Apple Pay on the London Underground.

From today, Apple iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to use Express Mode for Apple Pay on any yellow card reader on the London underground, bus, and tram networks within the Transport for London network to pay without having to authenticate their payment via Face ID or Touch ID first.

Already available on some transport systems in US cities like New York, Portland and in Japan and China, the move will make it much easier to use your Apple watch or iPhone to pay for your journey.

Although Apple Watch and iPhone users have been able to use their devices for around four years, users have had to "pre-arm" their device first causing many to abandon the feature for fear of causing long queues. 

The move, which is available from Monday 2 December should encourage more people to use the service as all they now need to do is touch and walk through the turnstile.

Express Mode for Apple pay will work on all TfL services including the Underground, buses and trams.

More useful, perhaps, for late night travellers in London is that the system doesn’t need power to be on and will work up to five hours after the red Power Reserve icon appears, however that particular feature will only work on iPhone XS or Apple Watch Series 4 devices or later.

The new Express Mode feature will work on iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, or iPhone 6s Plus or later and for all Apple Watch models after Series 1. You will need the latest version of iOS for it to work.

You can enable Express Mode, called Express Transit in the US, via the Wallet & Apple Pay settings.

The service doesn't affect using Apple Pay in shops to pay for things.