Monday, 30 November 2009

MasterCard adds contactless payments to BlackBerry phones

MasterCard Canada has teamed up with Research in Motion and BMO Bank of Montreal to test a system that combines PayPass contactless stickers with email confirmation of each transaction sent to the user's BlackBerry smartphone.

A new mobile payments service that links contactless stickers and email confirmations of each transaction made is being tested in Canada. Developed by MasterCard Canada, BMO Bank of Montreal and Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerry smartphones, the four month trial uses MasterCard PayPass compatible stickers attached to the reverse of BlackBerry smartphones.

In the trial, participants will be able to use their PayPass Mobile Tag-equipped smartphones to make purchases at any of the 8,500 merchant locations in Canada that currently accept MasterCard PayPass contactless cards. Each time they make a purchase, a confirmation email will be sent to their BlackBerry smartphone, providing details of the amount spent, the date of the transaction and the identity of the retailer.

"Consumers have embraced mobile applications and we expect this new trial to have a significant impact on the way goods and services are paid for at the point of sale in the future," says Scott Lapstra, vice president of market development at MasterCard Canada.

"Interest in mobile commerce continues to grow and the BlackBerry platform is uniquely positioned to provide a secure, robust and reliable foundation for innovative solutions such as the PayPass Mobile Tag," added Tyler Lessard, vice president of global alliances and developer relations at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry products and services have simplified and enhanced a broad range of everyday tasks with a unique mobile experience and we look forward to working with MasterCard and BMO to extend that mobile experience to commerce."

"This pilot will allow us to evaluate many aspects of the mobile payment experience and is an important step towards mainstream use and acceptance," concluded David Heatherly, vice president of payment products at BMO Bank of Montreal.

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