Users of Singtel's Dash mobile wallet app can now tap to pay for goods and services at twice as many shops as before, thanks to its partnership with Visa.

The latest version of Dash, unveiled yesterday, comes with the Dash Visa function, including a virtual 16-digit card number.

It allows Dash to be accepted at all 50,000 Visa PayWave contactless payment terminals here, including those at fast-food chain McDonald's and Cold Storage and FairPrice supermarkets.

Said Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, Singtel Consumer division's chief executive officer: "Dash's goal is to deliver ubiquitous mobile payments to everyone in Singapore."

According to Visa, more than half of the total over-the-counter Visa card transactions in Singapore are contactless.

Said Ms Ooi Huey Tyng, Visa's country manager for Singapore and Brunei: "Singaporeans are becoming more digitally engaged and smartphones have become an integral part of their lives."

First launched three years ago, Dash works like the ez-link stored-value card. Deductions will be made automatically from the Dash mobile wallet when users tap their phones on local merchants' contactless payment terminals.

Dash Visa's 16-digit card number can also be used to pay for goods and services from local online merchants, or in locally hosted apps. Individuals, such as students, who do not have credit or debit cards can transact online.

However, Singtel is still getting regulatory approvals for Dash Visa to be accepted by overseas online merchants such as Amazon in the United States, Book Depository and Uber.

Mr Shaun Tan, 22, said Dash Visa is useful for students like him as they shop mostly at local e-stores such as Zalora, Qoo10 and Shopee. But he also uses Uber.

"It is confusing if a card is accepted by some merchants and not others," he said.

The rollout of Dash Visa is yet another effort by the telco to grab a slice of the growing mobile payment market.

Visa's internal transaction numbers show that seven in 10 Visa card holders use their cards on their mobile phones - be it for in-app purchases or via e-wallets. E-wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay were launched only last year.

Separately, the Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Survey 2016, released on Tuesday, shows that more than seven out of 10 people are making in-app purchases for rides, meals or groceries using their credit or debit cards. This has gone up from six out of 10 people in the previous year's Visa study.