Telecom, Westpac to trial mobile payments

Mobile phone payments have moved one step closer to implementation in New Zealand, with a consortium including Telecom and Westpac announcing plans to trial a Near Field Communication (NFC) transfer system for transport and retail payments.

The trial will involve 30 staff from the six organisations involved. In addition to Telecom and Westpac, this includes Auckland Transport, technology partners Thales and Gemalto, and electronic payment provider Paymark.

The technology on display in the trial will ultimately be available for all operators thanks to an agreement signed at the beginning of April.

Testers will be able to pay for transport on buses, trains and ferries, and make purchases at ‘a small selection’ of stores.

The funds are delivered from a Telecom XT prepaid account, which the user can top up through Paymark’s infrastructure, and using a Westpac credit card.

Telecom CEO Paul Reynolds says in a statement the company is ‘absolutely committed’ to developing a mobile wallet system to make available for all operators

"The information gained from this trial will be invaluable for developing a mobile wallet with the kinds of innovative products and services that our customers can expect on the XT network,” Reynolds says.