As part of the strategic alliance, Wirecard supports Vodafone as a technical service provider when implementing the mobile payment application for a number of mobile phone types. Furthermore, Wirecard is responsible for the creation, implementation and operations of all technical processes. This includes the issuing and payment processing of physical and digital Visa cards. Cards are issued by Wirecard Card Solutions, a Wirecard group company and member of Visa Europe.
Vodafone SmartPass customers with an near field communication (NFC)-enabled mobile phone can start use their Vodafone NFC-SIM card to make contactless payments at the point-of-sale (POS) from their Vodafone SmartPass credit balance. Wirecard is set to provide NFC tags for mobile phone models which are not NFC-enabled. Customers with a smartphone will be able to download the Vodafone SmartPass app and apply for an NFC tag that can be attached to their mobile device. They will then be able to top up their account via the Vodafone SmartPass App and pay by tapping their phone at a POS. Customers with a feature phone can also use the tag but will need to fund the account via a Vodafone website.
In addition to enabling customers to pay for everyday goods, the Vodafone mobile wallet is also set to be able to hold travel cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and vouchers. Vodafone SmartPass can be funded when needed and enables customers to pay for goods with their smartphone at any Visa contactless payment terminal.
The Vodafone Wallet uses NFC technology and equivalent EMV-compliant payment technologies to send encrypted data over short distances, allowing it to support secure transactions in both payment and non-payment environments. If a customers mobile phone is lost or stolen they can contact the Vodafone customer care team to have their phone and mobile wallet blocked.
In recent news, Vodafone India and financial institution ICICI Bank have launched a mobile money transfer and payment service M-Pesa in Assam and other North Eastern states.
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