Following in the footsteps of rival Barclays, RBS and NatWest have begun piloting a mobile payments tool that lets customers send money to anyone with a Visa card and UK phone number.
Participants in a soft launch have begun trialling the service within the RBS and NatWest Android, iOS and BlackBerry apps ahead of a full roll out planned for after Easter.
Users can transfer funds to anyone with a Visa card by entering their UK mobile phone number, without them having to register in advance. A text message is sent to the recipient directing them to a Web site where they enter their card number to collect the money.
The service will have a £100 limit and be available to RBS customers in Scotland and NatWest customers in England and Wales.
Ben Green, head, mobile, RBS and NatWest, says: "Our customers will be able to make quick and easy payments without needing to get hold of the sort code and account number of the recipient. This safe and convenient tool will encourage yet more people to make the most of mobile banking - helping our customers to bank anywhere, whenever they want."
The service is similar to Barclays' Pingit, which has proved popular since launching last February, with well over a million downloads. An industry-wide version, being built under the direction of the Payments Council, is also in the pipeline, set for a launch next year.