Covent Garden’s Apple Market has rolled out PayPal Here, allowing retailers to accept payment using a smartphone or tablet device.

The PayPal here app and chip and pin reader is aimed at small and medium sized businesses, and enables sales assistants to take card or PayPal payments via the 3G network of wifi.

The service means market traders can now accept cards, having previously been cash only.

The PayPal service is one of a growing number of examples of mobile payments that enable retailers to take payment via the mobile phone network or wifi.

The app connects, via Bluetooth, to a chip and pin card reader which allows small businesses to give customers the choice of paying by card if they don’t have enough cash on them. The app also allows businesses to send invoices and log cash and cheque payments.