Citi has launched Citi Tap and Pay service in Bengaluru, bringing to India contactless credit card payments based on Near Field Communications technology. The bank has adopted this mobile payments ecosystem in Bengaluru in collaboration with Nokia, Vodafone, MasterCard and ViVOtech.
With Citi Tap and Pay, customers can use their mobile phone as a credit card. The technology allows customers to tap their mobile phone on a contactless reader at the point of sale to pay for purchases, instead of swiping credit cards. The service also does away with the need for customers to send SMS or incur mobile data charges to make these payments.
Citi said that Nokia will support the service with its NFC-enabled Nokia 6212 classic phones The 3G phone provides consumers the capability to conduct NFC-based interactions with other such everyday devices and services. Vodafone is the Mobile Network Operator for the pilot service. MasterCard will offer its MasterCard PayPass contactless payment and security infrastructure. ViVOtech is providing the underlying technology, including the NFC wallet, the Over-the-Air (OTA) card provisioning software.
Jeff Semenchuk, EVP and Head of Growth Ventures, Citi Innovation, said: “Citi believes contactless mobile payment services will be a key lifestyle driver for our highly mobile, international and increasingly urban customer base, and we are delighted to be the first to deliver this innovative service to them. “
