Barclays has added a feature to its Pingit mobile payment and P2P transfer service that gives large U.K. businesses such as insurers, retailers and utility companies the ability to pay individuals using their mobile phone numbers.

The U.K.-based bank says that businesses can now send payments using an individual's mobile phone number instead of having to use their bank account or card number.

Pingit, which was launched by Barclays in February 2012, enables consumers to link their bank accounts to their mobile phone numbers. Pingit transfers take place via the U.K.'s near-real-time Faster Payments network.

Large businesses can use Barclays' existing File Gateway channel to send electronic payments directly into an individual's Barclays Pingit account, which is open to both Barclays and non-Barclays customers.

Barclays said it is the first U.K. bank to offer mobile transfers from businesses to consumers. Companies can use Pingit to send funds to any U.K. mobile phone number, and recipients who are not Pingit users will receive an SMS message telling them how to register for the service and access their funds.

One of the first companies to register for the B2C mobile transfer service is CEGA, a supplier of global claims and travel risk management, medical assistance and air ambulance services.

Learn more about money transfer/P2P.