StarHub is looking to launch NFC Mobile Payment Solution trial service for everyday mobile payments for some DBS customers with StarHub mobile plans in Singapore. The eight-week trial will commence in December.
Collaboratively organized by DBS Bank, EZ-Link, Gemalto (News - Alert), MasterCard and StarHub, the project will involve adding an N-Flex solution enabling to turn conventional handsets into NFC-enabled mobile phone without any change to the device.
The solution, which functions on SIM cards across multiple mobile handsets hence helping to accelerate the ubiquity of handsets supporting NFC, is also the first-of-its-kind conforming to the Single Wire Protocol (SWP) as endorsed by the GSM Association (GSMA (News - Alert)).
The NFC trial user will then be able to make payments with their mobile handsets at all merchant outlets that accept the MasterCard PayPass or the EZ-link card, as well as on public transportation such as buses and trains.
During the trial, a group of participants will receive an electronic mailer from either StarHub or DBS Bank, containing instructions on how to register their participation online. The participants will then be required to visit the StarHub Customer Service Centre at One Raffles Place (OUB Centre) or designated StarHub road shows to have the Upteq N-Flex device inserted and mapped onto the SIM cards of their mobile handsets before they can start making payments with their phones.
“With the rapidly expanding use of mobile devices, our customers are increasingly expecting financial services and payments to be offered on their mobile devices,” said Ooi Huey Tyng, senior vice president of Cards & Unsecured Loans at DBS Bank Ltd, in a statement. “We are happy our cardholders will be the first in Singapore that will benefit from the convenience of having the functionality of NFC-enabled chip embedded onto their mobile phones to make payments. Through this, we hope to further promote the adoption of cashless payment in Singapore”
“The mobile phone has become an indispensible part of everyday life, making it an ideal tool to transform the way consumers pay for everyday purchases,” said Julienne Loh, vice president and country manager of Singapore, MasterCard Worldwide, in a press release. “Working closely with Gemalto, MasterCard is taking the lead to deliver a convenient and secure payment method for consumers using a wide range of mobile devices. Through this trial with our partners DBS, EZ-Link and StarHub, Singapore will be at the forefront of developments in this field.”
“Through this partnership with industry partners in delivering the first mobile payment device that leverages on the NFC technology in Singapore, EZ-Link believes that its customers will benefit from the convenience of having the functionality of an EZ-link card embedded onto their mobile phones,” said Nicholas Lee, executive director of EZ-Link Pte Ltd. “We hope to also promote the adoption of cashless payment by merging it with a device that is already a necessity most Singaporeans carry around with them at all times,”
“Gemalto is delighted to drive the technology behind this landmark trial. Our N-Flex solution was created specifically to empower mass adoption of the ever convenient and easy-to-use NFC mobile payments. As more countries deploy this service, we are glad to be part of a collaboration between industry leaders to roll this out for Singapore, making us one of the first in Asia to do so,” adds Tan Teck Lee, Gemalto Asia president and CITO.
Rahul Arora is a TMCnet contributor. He has worked as an editor and freelance writer for several reputed organizations in India. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Tammy Wolf