The Co-operative Group is extending its contactless payment technology to more than 200 outlets within the M25 in time for the Olympics.

The Group will install the terminals at 175 food stores and 28 pharmacies by the end of May, following successful trains at four food stores in Manchester city centre and six pharmacy branches.

It has joined forces with Barclaycard in partnership with Visa to deliver the point of sale technology for the programme, which if successful will be rolled out to all its 2,800 food stores by the end of the year.

Andy Haywood, chief information officer, said: “The Co-operative has been working hard to roll out this unique payment method across Greater London in time for the 2012 Olympics, which has been billed as a contactless events, and then its entire food and pharmacy estate by the end of the year.

“Contactless technology will mean a much faster and easier, yet secure, way for customers to pay for low-value goods, which will result in shorter and speedier queues in our stores.”

Contactless payment technology currently allows customers to make purchases of £15 or less, without the need to enter a PIN number of insert their card into a payment terminal.