Costa Coffee has launched the UK’s first contactless reusable coffee cup.

The Clever Cup, powered by Barclaycard’s bPay technology, is available in all Costa Coffee stores at a price of £14.99, with a £1 donation from each sale going to the Costa Foundation.

The new cup features a silicon base and contactless chip, which is detachable for ease of washing. The technology can be used wherever customers see the contactless symbol, not just Costa Coffee stores.

Sold in packaging made from recycled coffee cups, the initiative forms part of Costa Coffee’s re-launch of its ‘next generation’ reusable range, encouraging customers to make the move away from single-use takeaway cups. It has pledged to recycle 500 million of these cups by 2020.

Users can track their spending, top up their balance, and block or cancel the contactless payment element online or using the bPay app, available on iPhone and Android devices.

Costa Coffee md, Jason Cotta, said: “Contactless technology has become increasingly prominent in our daily lives and through the launch of the new Costa / Barclaycard Clever Cup we hope to appeal to those tech-savvy customers to help facilitate and drive environmentally friendly behaviour.

“Whilst we are committed to ensuring more takeaway coffee cups are recovered and recycled we also want to incentivise and reward customers who help reduce the number of takeaway cups being wasted.

“We already offer a 25p discount on hot drinks in all our stores for customers using reusable cups, and hope the innovative Clever Cup will become an additional incentive for increasing the use of reusable cups.”

Barclays head of sales and partnerships, Rob Morgan, said: “Today’s shoppers are looking for seamless and ‘to hand’ ways to pay. Our wearable chip technology allows almost any accessory to be transformed into a smart payment device, unlocking the benefits of speed and ease in everyday purchases.

“We’re proud to be working with Costa Coffee to give the UK another compelling reason to carry a reusable cup as part of their daily routine.”