Visa Lets Transit Riders Pay Fare with Cell Phones
Contactless payment using a credit card is becoming more common, but why get your card out when another, more readily available device can be used?
In Japan using your mobile phone as a device for payment is already becoming common. Now Visa is set to bring that same functionality to the iPhone with the help of a new case.
Visa already has a contactless payment solution called payWave. With a compatible Visa credit card you can pay for items by holding the card in front of a reader rather than having to swipe it or insert it into another device. The only problem with that system, as with any credit card payment system, is you need to get your card out to complete the transaction.
This new method being developed would allow your card to stay in your wallet. Instead, your iPhone is placed inside a case which contains a chip from Visa holding the same details about your account as your card. When it comes time to pay for something you get your phone out, hold it in front of the reader, then type your PIN on your iPhone.
The case is being developed with the aid of DeviceFidelity, and trials are being carried out this summer.