About 6,000 contactless payment terminals have been installed in Ireland, allowing consumers to pay with a wave of a card rather than having to key in a pin or sign a piece of paper.

Irish consumers have been urged to make sure they do not become victims of online fraud this April Fool’s Day, after shoppers were cheated out of a combined €25.7m during last year.

One of Britain’s leading accountancy software groups, Sage Pay, has acquired Dublin-based payments’ company Integral Computers Ltd for €20 million.