......
I was going to contact Barclaycard to ask whether I could have a card
without PayPass, but after recalling previous experiences dealing with their
customer services I decided against it...

Net result: Barclaycard have lost my business to AmEx, and I get the bonus
of a credit card company that don't treat their customers with contempt.
.....

I did contact Barclaycard, and they promised me that was no problem; a
week later I received a new card...with paypass still on it. A few
phonecalls later and I too had left Barclaycard - awful CS.