New way of buying in city stores

The sQuid cards are charged up and then used for small purchases

Dundee is to pioneer what could be the next step towards a cashless society.

Over the next few days, about 5,000 young people in the city will receive a new plastic card which will act as an electronic purse.

The sQuid card can be charged up with cash and used for buying low-cost items like newspapers or a bag of crisps in almost 50 stores.

Dundee is the first place in Scotland to try the system, but it is expected to be rolled out to other cities.

Any resident can apply for a sQuid card or the function could be added to a National Entitlement Card (NEC), which is currently used for things like libraries, leisure centres and free bus travel.

'Loose change'

Sid Bulloch, NEC manager for Scotland, said: "It's designed to help them with small payments, typically things under £10, the sort of thing you might want to buy early morning - a newspaper, a cup of coffee, things you wouldn't want to use a debit or credit card for and you wouldn't want to have to rake for loose change."

Andrew MacQueen, one of the young people who will be getting a card, welcomed the move.

"I think it's a safe option to use," he said.

"It's innovative, it's a new technology, it's brilliant and I'm actually very very proud to say that it's starting here in Dundee."

Fellow sQuid convert Laura Gorman added: "It's going to be a lot safer for young people - they don't have to carry lots of cash and it's a lot quicker.

"You just put your card on and you're away instead of having to look for money and wait for change."