Visa Certifies BlackBerry Smartphones for use as Visa Mobile Payment Devices
By Brad on Jan 11, 2012 with 0
Filed Under: BlackBerry Bold 9790 (Rumored) • BlackBerry Bold 9900 • BlackBerry Bold 9930 • BlackBerry Curve 9360 • Hardware • News and Rumors • RIM
Not too long ago the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Curve 9360 were certified by MasterCard to be paypass supported. Now it is Visa turn to certify BlackBerry Devices. They have certified the BlackBerry Bold 9900/30, Curve 9360, Bold 9790, and Curve 9380 for Mobile payment. . Check out the press release!
Press Release
Visa Certifies Smartphones for Use as Visa Mobile Payment Devices
NFC-enabled smartphones from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Research In Motion approved for use with Visa payWave, Visa’s mobile application for payments at the point-of-sale
SAN FRANCISCO – Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) and Visa Europe today announced that NFC-enabled smartphones from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Research In Motion (RIM) have been certified for use with Visa’s mobile application for payments at the point-of-sale, Visa payWave. The Samsung Galaxy SII, LG Optimus NET NFC, BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900, BlackBerry Bold 9790, BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 have been added to the list of Visa compliant payment products available for commercial deployment by financial institutions.
All the new devices certified by Visa host the Visa payWave application on a secure SIM card and feature NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, the short range communications standard that enables mobile phones to securely transmit payment information to a contactless payment terminal.
“The players are now in place for mobile payments to become a reality,” said Sandra Alzetta, Head of Mobile Business Unit and Innovation, Strategy, at Visa Europe. “We are working with our member banks, mobile network operators and key handset partners to ensure that future payment technologies are as easy, intuitive and secure as card-based transactions are today. Today’s announcement plays a significant role in getting those new technologies into the hands of the consumer. It is a very exciting time for us all.”
Visa’s certification of these smartphones paves the way for mobile device manufacturers, mobile operators and retailers to partner with financial institutions to offer Visa mobile payment functionality to consumers globally.
Visa’s Certification Process
Visa has played a leadership role in establishing global standards for mobile payments, making sure that they are aligned with existing technology and security standards for chip payment cards and can easily be integrated into the existing payments ecosystem. For example: Visa payWave on mobile devices is compatible with existing contactless (NFC) payment terminals already installed at retail outlets worldwide, enabling Visa account holders to simply wave their enabled phone in front of a payment terminal in order to pay.
Visa has a compliance testing process for both mobile devices and the secure elements that host the Visa payWave mobile application. The process includes extensive technical, security and usability testing with respect to the Visa mobile payment functionality. This helps to ensure reliable and secure Visa transactions which are compatible with the global standard for chip-enabled payments, and establishes a required signal range for all mobile (NFC-enabled) Visa payment devices. Visa’s compliance testing process helps to ensure the combination of the phone; secure chip and Visa’s mobile payment application will provide the level of security and user experience Visa accountholders have come to expect from Visa.
“Today’s announcement is another example of the momentum we are seeing behind NFC as an industry standard for mobile payments,” said Nick Holland, senior analyst Yankee Group. “Yankee Group predicts that the value of NFC-based transactions will grow significantly, from $27 million in 2010 to $40 billion in 2014.”
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About the Author: Brad is the Editior-in-Chief for berryreporter.com and he is a BlackBerry abuser. He loves to share his news and knowledge in the BlackBerry world through his post and his Podcast "The Berry Report". When he is not using his BlackBerry he likes, Playing Xbox 360, and going to college classes. Feel free to follow him on twitter, twitter.com/bgesullo
