Komercní banka, Citibank Europe, Globus CR, Visa Europe and Telefónica Czech Republic have launched a mobile contactless payments pilot at several Globus hypermarkets in Cakovice, Prague.
According to Komercní, the new technology allows customers to load payment cards onto a Visa payWave-enabled SIM card stored in their mobile phone, thus enabling contactless payments at the point of sale.
The pilot, which is expected to last six months, will involve two hundred of Telefónica’s and Citibank’s shared clients and two hundred of Telefónica’s and Komercní banka’s shared clients. Payments will be tested at three Globus hypermarkets in Prague and one Globus hypermarket in nearby Chotíkov.
Participants will use Samsung Star 5230 NFC-enabled handsets with a pre-installed O2 Wallet mobile application. Komercní says they hope to add support for Apple iPhone, BlackBerry, Samsung Galaxy II and other NFC handsets in future mobile wallet deployments.
Sirus Zafar, Head of Cards at Komercní banka, comments: “Under this project, we have been able to prepare the infrastructure required for the introduction of mobile payments. As part of this project we will monitor the new service in terms its convenience for payment card holders and also how well it is working at the merchants. The outcomes from the pilot project will provide valuable information for Komercní banka’s direction in this area in the coming months and years.” ![[end]](/resources/bullet/nfcnews-4.gif)
