Friday November 9, 2007
Maxis and Maybank testing mobile phone payment system
07 November 2007 – Maxis Communications Berhad is currently trialling a mobile phone multi-payment service incorporating credit card and prepaid transit payments with Maybank, Visa International and Touch ‘n Go.
Maxis’ ‘touch to pay’ employs Near Field Communications (“NFC”) technology which leverages on a short-range wireless connectivity standard embedded in mobile phones. This technology, currently available on Nokia 6131 NFC phones, will allow users to touch their handsets against contactless payment readers to make a purchase.
Maxis’ Head of Products and New Businesses Dr. Nikolai Dobberstein said, “This ‘touch to pay’ trial reflects Maxis’ commitment to lead in mobile payment services. We are transforming the use of mobile phones into a conduit for swift, cashless payments using the one accessory people are going to carry around with them above others - their mobile phones.”
“As we continue to push boundaries on mobile payment services, we are glad that established brands such as Touch ‘n Go, Maybank, Visa International and Nokia are working with us to provide various avenues of payments and services to our customers. Pending the success of the trial, we hope to have the service commercially available by the middle of next year,” Dobberstein added.
The trial, launched on 22 October 2007, will test the dual application Nokia NFC-enabled handsets equipped with Maybank Visa Wave credit cards and Touch ‘n Go (an electronic payment card with contactless smartcard technology). Trial participants will be able to test the Maxis’ ‘touch to pay’ service at merchants with Visa Wave readers, and more than 3,000 Touch ‘n Go readers nationwide including RapidKL LRT stations and buses in the Klang Valley, all highway toll booths and selected car parks.
“Maybank is pleased to be a partner in this pilot project to introduce another innovative payment and mobile commerce facility for customers. Our participation reinforces our commitment to provide value to stakeholders as well as enhance customers’ lifestyles. This latest payment innovation attests to the robustness of Maybank’s payment system to leverage on technological advances as well as cater to the sophisticated needs of customers today. When implemented, the mobile phone will expand the range of delivery channels we offer for payment convenience,” said Ashraf Ali Kadir, Head of Cards and Payments Maybank.
Ashraf added that Maybank’s large credit card and internet banking customer, and merchant base will also provide the catalyst to accelerate the adoption of this service and elevate mobile commerce, putting Malaysia in the forefront in deploying revolutionary payment systems via mobile phones.
Payment on Maxis’ ‘touch to pay’ is done by placing the handset within centimetres of a Visa Wave and Touch ‘n Go readers; the transaction is then authenticated within seconds to complete the purchase.
For Visa Wave transactions, the purchase amount will appear in the customer’s credit card statement. Visa Wave credit card details can be added directly into NFC mobile phones via Maxis’ mobile network using OTA provisioning capabilities that are part of the Visa mobile platform.
Visa’s Country Manager for Malaysia, Jessica Pang said, “Malaysia was the first market in the Asia Pacific region to offer Visa contactless payment. With the introduction of the Visa mobile platform earlier this year, Visa has put together a suite of technology tools and applications, which this Maxis trial uses, providing safe and convenient payment options for Malaysians. The trial builds upon the established contactless payment environment in Malaysia and the experiences gained from last year’s mobile payment trial with Visa, Maxis, Maybank and Nokia.”
Once launched, the Touch ‘n Go feature of this service will enable a Maxis customer to use his/her NFC-enabled phone for toll and travel payments, just as he would use a Touch ‘n Go card. Customers will also be able to use existing Touch ‘n Go reload channels to top up their balances.
Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd Chief Operating Officer, Pn Hasni Zarina Mohamed Khan said, “In 2006, Touch ‘n Go made up half of all non-cash payment transactions conducted in Malaysia. We believe the NFC technology on mobile phones, with the potential to open up means for faster reload methods via Over-the-air (“OTA”), will further enhance the acceptance of Touch ‘n Go payment service beyond transportation.”
All payments on Maxis ‘touch to pay’ are secured on existing Touch ‘n Go and Visa Wave security infrastructures.
Maxis also plans to offer a special user interface that offers an array of functionalities which will allow customers payment details, credit balance and recent transactions on the mobile phone screen at any point in time.
One hundred trial participants will be using the Nokia 6131 NFC phone, which is the latest in Nokia’s range of NFC-enabled devices. Nokia’s Head of NFC Product Management, Jarkko Sevanto said, “Nokia’s NFC-enabled devices are an important element in our vision to provide innovative solutions to meet the customer’s need for convenience.”
Upon successful completion of the ‘touch to pay’ trial and commercial roll out next year, Maxis also plans to expand the NFC application in the area of “service discovery”, which will enable mobile phones to read “smart posters” implanted with Radio Frequency Identification (“RFID”) Tag. This will open up a new information channel for customers to gain access to bus routes and timetables, special offers and coupons at selected retail outlets.
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