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European Payments Council publishes NFC white paper

Sarah Clark — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:39:50 +0000

The European Payments Council (EPC) has published a white paper which examines the ways in which NFC technology could be used to deliver compatible mobile phone-based payments services across the 32 countries of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA).

As well as the way in which near field communication technology can be used to deliver mobile versions of existing card-based payments services, the White Paper on Mobile Payments also highlights the potential of NFC to enable consumers to use the secure element in their NFC phone to directly transfer funds from their bank account to a merchant or other supplier — potentially reducing the cost to merchants of handling electronic payments.

"Many consumers are already using mobile phones for services beyond the traditional voice calls and short messaging services due to the introduction of packaged offers, including internet access provided by the mobile network operators," says the European Payments Council. "As a result, consumer expectations with regard to mobile phone functionality have increased dramatically, with many users eager to embrace new service solutions based on this delivery platform, such as payments. The availability of practical SEPA mobile payments, either account or card-based, would provide a realistic alternative to cash and cheques."

"At the same time, merchants demand that new technology translates into cost savings, increased business volume and reduced exposure to security threats such as cash thefts or illicit payments, as well as enhanced marketing opportunities and brand recognition," it continues. "Mobile phone initiated payments, in particular those using the contactless approach, are very well positioned to generate these benefits for merchants and other stakeholders who are directly providing services to consumers."

The European Payments Council is working with a number of organisations, include mobile network operators' association the GSMA, to set standards and business roles for mobile payments in Euro countries. “The aim is to develop proposals that support collaboration and standardisation and which form the basis for interoperability," says Gerard Hartsink, the EPC's chairman. "Our intention is to establish a service framework sufficient to reach potentially all payers and payees in the European Economic Area and to create a trusted and secure environment for the multiple stakeholders active in the field.”

The EPC's mobile payments initiative is headed by DnB Nor's Dag-Inge Flatraaker, who explains that “the EPC White Paper on Mobile Payments responds to changing customer requirements in the payments market and demonstrates how mobile payments can increase efficiency, effectiveness and convenience. This paper creates awareness on how to best combine the benefits of state-of-the art SEPA payment instruments for credit transfers, direct debits and card payments handled through one of the most popular and versatile devices introduced in the past two decades — the mobile phone.”

Readers can download the full white paper in pdf format free of charge from the European Payments Council's website.

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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The NFC Newswire: Breaking news, product launches and NFC-related news from around the world

Mike Clark — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:51:43 +0000

All the latest news from around the NFC ecosystem including a new Toshiba NFC phone now under development, Telecom Italia's new mobile commerce service, Visa Australia increases contactless transaction limit, Twinlinx and Windows Mobile, Montreal's new contactless ticketing system, MoLo Rewards' NFC coupon and loyalty solution and more...

NEWSWIRE: Where NFC news breaks first

As the NFC market begins to heat up, more products, field trials and commercial services are getting announced every week in both the core near field communication market and in related business areas and technologies.

Our new NFC Newswire service is designed to keep you informed of all the latest developments in the market, as they happen. Each article is short and to the point and, if you follow us on Twitter (we're @nfcw), you'll get these breaking news stories automatically.

And, whenever there's an important news development, we'll be putting it on the NFC Newswire straight away — and then following up with those involved so we can write about it in full for Near Field Communications World.

We're building the NFC Newswire into the main Near Field Communications World site too (~~This should go live in the next few days~~ This is now live) so, if you're a regular visitor, you will see all the latest developments every time you visit and, if you read our RSS feed, you'll get the NFC Newswire stories too.

Of course, if you're happy to wait, we'll also be rounding up all the top stories in our regular email newsletter too!

Latest news from the NFC Newswire:

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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DnB NOR and Telenor to begin NFC trial in Oslo during 4Q 2009

Sarah Clark — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:59:13 +0000

The NFC trial is taking place a year later than originally planned, Digi.no reports (in Norwegian), and a commercial launch is still expected to be two to three years away.

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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DnB NOR and Telenor begin NFC field trial in Oslo

Sarah Clark — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:50:51 +0000

The Norwegian bank and the telecoms operator, which formed a joint venture last year to create an NFC trusted service manager for the Nordic markets, have begun a small scale NFC test that will be extended into Oslo city centre later this year.

FIRST TEST: DnB NOR and mobile operator Telenor have started a small-scale NFC test in Oslo

DnB NOR and Telenor have begun their first NFC test with a small pilot at Oslo's Telenor Expo Fornebu trade centre café, and have announced plans to extend the trial to Oslo city centre later this year.

The test is the first of its kind in the Nordic region, says DnB NOR, and is being run in cooperation with MasterCard, Giesecke & Devrient, BBS, EDB and Teller. Participants are being equipped with an NFC enabled mobile phone, together with an NFC SIM card from Giesecke & Devrient that stores the payment application.

In the fall of 2009 the trial will be extended to include "shops in strategic places in Oslo," says DnB NOR. "We wish to learn more about what Norwegian banking and mobile phone customers think about this type of mobile phone payment solution," says Bent Bentsen, project manager for DnB NOR's new payment solutions.

DnB NOR and Telenor have been working together on NFC since April 2008 when they formed TSM Nordic, a joint venture charged with creating a trusted service manager to handle the introduction of NFC in the Nordic region.

In autumn 2008 Telenor also ran a small technical trial that saw a Mifare DESfire ticketing application loaded onto an NFC phone. The trial, which took place in the Norwegian city of Tromsø, involved thirty people and was run in conjunction with Cominor, a local bus company.

This article was first published at www.NearFieldCommunicationsWorld.com.

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