High street retailer Marks and Spencer has made a huge change to 200 of its stores in the run up to Christmas.
M&S has become the first in the UK to launch an on-the-spot payment solution that aims to make shopping quicker, easier and safer.
Pay With Me is now live at 200 M&S stores in the UK, allowing staff to put customers waiting in line to pay for a few items and process their transactions via a handheld Honeywell device.
The rollout comes after a successful trial at seven stores.
Pay With Me allows M&S staff to help customers waiting in line and process their transaction using a handheld device which is fully Sparks-enabled and allows contactless up to £45 and card payments.
Customers can also pay using Apple Pay.
Helen Milford, M&S stores director, said: "Throughout the year our teams have done a fantastic job of adapting quickly to serve our customers through challenging and changing circumstances.
"In preparation for Christmas, we have put in place extensive measures to make shopping quicker, easier and safer for everyone - from our longest ever opening hours through to digital queue busting solutions such as our new 'Pay with Me' - now in over 200 stores.
"In these final few days we're focused on delivering for our customers to help them make the most of their Christmas, however, they might be celebrating."
M&S has also introduced several other measures to increase store capacity and keep queue sizes down. This includes:
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1,800 'Magic Makers' on hand to help customers and answer any queries
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Festive tunnels installed outside each store to shelter customers from the winter weather, should there be a short queue. QR codes will be on show, linking through to the M&S product developers' top picks for festive food to provide inspiration while customers wait.
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M&S's longest-ever opening hours to help give customers more time to shop this Christmas
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1,000 brand-new self-service tills at 69 of its higher footfall stores and rolling out Scan & Shop to 30 stores to help speed up the payment process for customers and make shopping easier for them
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Expanding M&S's checkout-free technology Mobile Pay Go to every UK store, meaning customers all over the country can skip the queues and pay for their items using their smartphone. Customers scan items as they shop and leave the store without visiting a till, all via the M&S App. Mobile Pay Go is available at all UK M&S owned stores
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M&S's reservation-based shopping service Sparks Book & Shop , which allows customers to reserve a shopping slot at a time that suits them and removes the need to queue, should there be one.
Among the stores offering Pay With Me are Merseyside's Aintree, Bidston Moss, Formby and St Helens Ravenhead stores.
M&S at Cheshire Oaks is also included.
