Thursday, August 22, 2013
First NFC-enabled iPhone prepaid mobile wallet in Europe
In July 2013, the first near field communication (NFC)-enabled mobile prepaid wallet was introduced in Europe. The moneto prepaid wallet, which operates with Apple Inc. iPhones, is first being deployed in the United Kingdom, with roll-outs in other European countries expected in the coming months.
The moneto wallet – the result of a partnership between U.K.- and Austria-based program manager Kalixa Group; Richardson, Texas-based mobile payments firm DeviceFidelity; and MasterCard Worldwide – integrates NFC technology into mobile phones using DeviceFidelity's patented microSD technology. The wallet also employs a combination of MasterCard's PayPass and DeviceFidelity's iCaisse technologies to enable tap-and-go mobile payments.
"The UK is one of the fastest growing prepaid markets in the world and is a leader in terms of NFC and contactless acceptance at the point of sale," said Ed Chandler, Chief Executive Officer at Kalixa. "By enabling iPhone users to make smart, simple and secure NFC transactions we are taking an enormous step towards making mobile money an everyday reality for consumers."
The wallet allows users to tap and pay for goods at thousands of retail outlets in the U.K. The service is also being configured for Android mobile phones.
Editorial Note:
Whether you want to upgrade your POS offerings, find a payment gateway partner, bone up on fintech regs or PCI requirements, find an upcoming trade show, read about faster payments, or discover the latest innovations in merchant acquiring, The Green Sheet is the resource for you. Since 1983, we've helped empower and connect payments professionals, starting with the merchant level salespeople who bring tailored payment acceptance and digital commerce tools, along with a host of other business services to merchants across the globe. The Green Sheet Inc. is also a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals.
Notice to readers: These are archived articles. Contact information, links and other details may be out of date. We regret any inconvenience.