NFC payments coming to UAE

Details: James Barton; Category: Mobile Finance; 02 November 2011; 9280 views

obile payment services based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology will soon be offered by UAE-based operator Etisalat, in partnership with Mastercard Worldwide and Network International...

Mobile payment services based on NFC (Near Field Communication) technology will soon be offered by UAE-based operator Etisalat, in partnership with Mastercard Worldwide and Network International. The technology will initially launch on the on Blackberry 9900 phone.

Around 600 outlets in the UAE are already able to process such mobile payment transactions. By simply tapping their smartphone against the reader, a customer can make purchases of up to $50 using a secure PIN number.

NFC has been increasing in focus for mobile operators, banks and device manufacturers, with stakeholders around the world trying to launch and adopt various m-Commerce practices. The challenge is to merge card, mobile device and Sim card together to provide customers with a new efficient and safe way of making payments and money transfers. Another issue has been to find a smart platform that consumers would accept.

"The possibilities around NFC are not just around payment. Payment is, of course, a very important application but with smart tags you can build a story. You could have coupons... redeem points with your next coffee or get a coffee free," said Enrique Beza, Senior Manager for m-Commerce at Etisalat.