NZ trials mobile payment system

A system that enables purchases to be paid for with the tap of a mobile phone is being trialled in New Zealand by MasterCard and ANZ, reports NZ Herald.

Under the trial, some ANZ staff will be issued with either a contactless sticker or a memory card enabled with MasterCard's contactless technology PayPass.

ComputerWorld says ANZ will have MasterCard PayPass-enabled terminals available at major merchant locations from July.

PayPassticker can be attached to any phone type, while the microSD memory card will be inserted into Blackberry devices.

This technology allows participants to use their mobile phone to make purchases of up to $80 by simply tapping the device in front any MasterCard PayPass terminal.

TVNZ states MasterCard's New Zealand country manager Albert Naffah says MasterCard plans to roll out the technology more broadly later this year.

“The future of payments is undeniably linked to the mobile phone,” he explains.