UK mobile operator O2 is delaying the launch of its “O2 Wallet” mobile contactless payments, loyalty and transit app due to concerns that it is “not yet offering an adequate customer experience,” reports MarketingWeek.

Originally slated for launch in the second half of 2011, O2 Wallet will undergo further internal trials ahead of a wider release. According to MarketingWeek, O2 is using the time to make the app compatible with a wider range of handsets, as well as incorporate more O2 services, including its loyalty program Priority Moments.

“We’ve decided to take extra time trialling the service internally before opening it up to customers,” commented an O2 spokeswoman. “This will ensure that when we launch, the service will be as appealing as Priority Moments has been.”

There are currently 300 employees testing O2 Wallet, and that number is expected to hit 500 in the coming weeks. The company has not yet revealed a new commercial launch date.

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