Citigroup, MasterCard, Cingular and Nokia Team Up on Mobile Phone PayPass Payments

"This trial offers Citi customers a new payment experience and, in fact, the first step in the convergence of the wallet with the mobile phone," said Ed Garofalo, Executive Vice President, Citi Cards.

"Carrying a mobile phone has become almost as common as carrying a wallet," said Scott McElroy, vice president technology realization for Cingular Wireless. "This trial will continue to help us learn more about how NFC technologies work and how customers will want to use their phones as part of their real-world transaction process."

"Most people have their mobile phone with them wherever they go to stay in touch. The simplicity of conducting everyday transactions, such as low cost purchases with their phone, adds high value and convenience for consumers," said Dieter May, Vice President and Head of Nokia Emerging Business Unit. "Nokia NFC-enabled phones used in this trial support over-the-air downloading of cardholder information, which is necessary for commercial rollout of NFC based mobile services. We believe NFC creates new and exciting opportunities for mobile operators, credit card associations, banks and other stakeholders, and we will be closely involved in the creation of the emerging NFC ecosystem bringing benefits to all parties."

"MasterCard has long believed that the mobile phone represents a ubiquitous payment device, in large part because consumers continue to grow more comfortable using them for a range of activites beyond making and receiving calls," said Art Kranzley, Executive Vice President and Group Executive, Advanced Payments, MasterCard Worldwide. "We also believe New York City makes an ideal backdrop for a technology built on speed and convenience. We are excited to team up with industry leaders such as Citi, Cingular and Nokia to test the promise of NFC in one of the world's fastest-paced environments."

Trial participants can also take part in the New York City Subway contactless transit fare payment trial sponsored by Citigroup, MasterCard Worldwide, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and MTA New York City Transit. All the customer has to do is activate the phone in order to tap for entry at participating 4, 5 and 6 subway locations along the Lexington Avenue Line.

NXP Semiconductors (formerly Philips Semiconductors) developed the NFC technology and chips for the NFC-enabled mobile phones in the New York City trial to facilitate secure, contactless communication between two devices. Giesecke & Devrient developed the Over the Air (OTA) personalization software that allows for the process of initializing your mobile phone with the information it needs to conduct secure transactions. ViVOtech provided NFC software and services to enable the trial working in concert with the partners.