Telstra, NAB and Visa to launch mobile phone embedded with Visa card application
Telstra, National Australia Bank (NAB) and Visa intend to develop Australia’s first trial allowing customers to pay for goods and services with a wave of their mobile phone.
The trial will see a select number of Telstra and National Australia Bank customers supplied with a smart mobile phone specifically enabled to allow them to pay for goods or services with Visa.
The phone will be embedded with contactless near field communications (NFC) technology, with the SIM card loaded with a National Australia Bank Visa card application.
National Australia Bank customers would then be able to make a payment by waving their Telstra mobile phone over a merchant’s contactless reader.
Making a Visa payWave contactless payment with a Telstra mobile phone is the first of many potential applications of the new NFC technology.
According to Telstra Group, Telstra contactless enabled mobile phones may, in the future, also be used to hold loyalty, membership cards, marketing offers, public transport tickets and building access security cards.
Instead of having a wallet or purse full of plastic cards, you could soon have them all supported on a single Telstra mobile phone, providing enhanced security and convenience.
According to National Australia Bank, the trial was an exciting step for banking in Australia and that National Australia Bank was pleased to be working with Telstra and Visa.
In the not too distant future they envisage National Australia Bank customers being able to walk into a shop give their mobile a quick wave over a reader and simply walk out with their purchases.
This is cutting edge technology that is being tested by leading banks and telcos around the world. Their trial will include mobile phones as well as contactless Visa cards, and will keep their customers at the forefront of easy and secure banking technology.
As one of Australia’s large suppliers of terminals for merchants National Australia Bank are excited about the benefits of Visa payWave contactless transactions for its business customers.
This could not only mean less cash handling, but also fast service times and less queuing at the check-out.
According to Visa International, Visa is committed to offering new and innovative ways for consumers to pay and for merchants to be paid.
The Telstra National Australia Bank Visa initiative will show how convergence of mobile technology and payment services can bring benefits to Australian consumers.
Visa’s mobile payment services are being trialled by financial institutions and telecommunications companies in the United States and Asia. Visa expects the experience from those initiatives will be of great benefit to this partnership with National Australia Bank and Telstra, and will help ensure a smooth introduction in Australia.
The trial begins in Melbourne in early 2008 and includes joint Telstra and National Australia Bank Visa customers as well as selected merchants.
31-Aug-2007