Popular fast food chain Pret A Manger now accepts Android Pay, according to tags on payment terminals in one of its London outlets, suggesting an imminent launch of the mobile payment service in the UK.

The Android Pay system, Google’s second attempt to encourage users to use their smartphones for contactless payments, was introduced in the United States last September.

Google announced in March that it would introduce Android Pay in the UK within months but did not give an exact release date.

According to employees at this particular Pret store, the "We now accept Android Pay" tags arrived overnight and have been displayed in stores from this morning, suggesting Android Pay will be imminently available to UK customers.