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Abstract

A method (600) for handling a digital payment between a payer (P1) and a payee (P2) is presented. A payer communication device (PD1) is used by the payer (P1), and a payee communication device (PD2) is used by the payee (P2). The payer and payee communication devices (PD1, PD2) uses (610) short-range data communication (SRDC) when the devices are in proximity of each other to agree upon a digital payment (DP) without requiring long-range data communication with a remote digital payment settlement service (DPSS) at that stage. The payer communication device (PD1) and the payee communication device (PD2) both buffers (620) digital payment information (DPI) pertaining to the digital payment (DP) locally in the respective device (PD1, PD2). Independently of the other device, the payer communication device (PD1) or the payee communication device (PD2) subsequently communicates (630) the buffered digital payment information (DPI) to the remote digital payment settlement service (DPSS) by long-range data communication (LRDC1, LRDC2). The remote digital payment settlement service (DPSS) causes settlement (640) of the digital payment (DP) as indicated by the digital payment information (DPI) received by long-range data communication (LRDC1, LRDC2) from one of the payer communication device and the payee communication device (PD1, PD2) without having to wait for the digital payment information to be received from the other one of the payer communication device and the payee communication device (PD1, PD2).

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