Du & Dubai First launch pilot programme for NFC-based mobile payments (UAE)

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Dubai First, a Dubai Group company and du, the UAE’s integrated telecom services provider, today announced a joint partnership for the launch of the first Near Field Communication (NFC)-based pilot programme for mobile payments in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Near Field Communication is a next-generation wireless technology that allows transmission of small packets of data via radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders such as mobile phones for contact-less payment transactions.
NFC technology holds potential use in mobile phone devices whereby du customers can conveniently use their mobile phones to make purchases instead of using cash and traditional plastic payment cards. This technology has a variety of applications including transportation, person-to-person payments, identity documentation and mobile commerce.
The pilot programme will be introduced in the UAE to around 250 customers selected from Dubai First’s recently launched Platinum MasterCard with Dubai Properties Group. The Platinum MasterCard is currently available to residents of Jumeirah Beach Residence and surrounding localities (Dubai Internet City; Dubai Media City; Knowledge Village and other places).

Selected Dubai First Platinum MasterCard customers will be able to securely download their credit card functionality to specially equipped mobile handsets over du’s mobile network. Once the handset has been personalized, customers will be able to make purchases using their du mobile lines at multiple MasterCard PayPassâ„¢ enabled merchant locations in the UAE. (more…)