Barclaycard confirmed its UK-based bPay band and pre-paid account will shut down at the end of May with a successor supposedly to follow shortly, although the credit card firm did not reveal a comeback date.

Debuted last year, users of bPay could add money to their accounts with any Visa or MasterCard debit or credit cards and then make contactless payments up to £20 in shops and restaurants.

“We can’t confirm a date at the moment I’m afraid, but we expect it to be not long after 31 May,” a Barclaycard spokesman told Mobile World Live about the second-generation product.

Around 10,000 users will be affected by the shutdown. All will be offered second-generation products as replacements for their first-generation payment bands. Any outstanding pre-paid balance will be refunded to their cards.

Last year’s launch was billed as a trial, albeit a large scale one.

How Barclaycard upgrades its second-generation device given a growing array of wearable rivals, many of whom can combine contactless payments with an additional skill, such as health tracker or smartwatch, will be its next test.