UK consumers want NFC on their mobile -survey

The O2 Wallet trial took place over six months between November 2007 and May 2008 and involved 500 mobile phone users. The trial tested consumer demand for having cards normally carried in a wallet, such as Oyster and credit cards, available on a Nokia 6131 NFC mobile phone. To travel on London’s transport system or make purchases in retail stores, the users simply held their near field communication (NFC)-enabled phone against an NFC reader and the payment was completed via NFC. Along O2, the trial involved companies such as Transport for London (TfL) Barclaycard, Visa Europe, TranSys, Nokia and AEG. In related news, UK mobile operator O2 reveals that it plans to cooperate with a consortium of mobile phone makers and companies such as Visa and TfL to launch a NFC mobile payments project. Oyster phones will require a new Sim card which will contain the radio transmitter currently found in Oyster cards and some credit cards. On top of working as tickets and travel cards, users will be able to make credit card payments, but they will be required to insert a PIN number when buying a product of more than GBP 10. Visa Europe has already confirmed plans to install thousands of electronic readers at London Olympics venues and said it will make London the home of Europe’s largest Visa payWave acceptance network during the 2012 London Olympic Games.