Visa Expands Mobile Payments Services

Credit card firm, Visa has launched four new programs to deliver payments and services via mobile phones. Two commercial mobile payments programs, in Brazil and kore along with two mobile offers and transaction notification pilots in the united States, add to more than a dozen pilot and commercial programs enabled by the Visa mobile platform around the world.

The Visa mobile platform gives Visa's bank and wireless carrier partners the tools and technology framework they need to develop, test and offer innovative mobile services around payments to this growing market segment. The mobile platform already supports consumer programs and pilots in a dozen countries and territories.

  * Global momentum

Brazil: Visa announced yesterday the availability of remote mobile payments in Brazil by Banco do Brasil, which is marking its 200th anniversary in early October with a number of innovative banking programs. It is the first program of its kind in Latin America, allowing Banco do Brasil's Visa cardholders to pay with their mobile device and confirm the transaction via text message. The service is accessible through any Brazilian mobile carrier serving the more than 140 million subscribers in the country. Companhia Brasileira de Meios de Pagamento (VisaNet Brasil), the acquiring institution for all Visa debit and credit payment transactions in the country, will be running the deployment of this technology in Brazil.

Korea: In a world first and in partnership with T-Money provider KSCC (Korea Smart Card Company), card issuer Shinhan Bank and Korea Telecom Freetel (KTF), Visa has made it possible for commuters to use their Visa account to top up their T-Money balances automatically on the phone's SIM card when it falls below a certain level. By conducting the entire transaction automatically over the mobile network, commuters are freed from the inconvenience of waiting in line at transit kiosks or other agents to top up their transit account.

USA:Visa recently announced a partnership with Chase Bank for a pilot program to deliver personalized mobile offers to select consumers in Phoenix With more than 50 participating merchants, the program has capacity for 5,000 participants who will receive offers, including discounts or special deals, directly to their mobile devices via text message. They will be able to redeem these offers at the merchant's location or online. The pilot will also cover special game day offers for baseball fans attending games at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

North America: Visa is working with multiple leading issuers, such as PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the , and RBC, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada, to trial a transactions notification program that is able to send near real-time information to cardholders. Participating cardholders will receive e-mail or SMS text messages on their mobile devices whenever one or more transaction "triggers" occur, sometimes before they leave the store. These mobile notifications will be created simultaneously with the transaction, providing cardholders with an effective way to monitor and manage their accounts.

(Source www.cellular-news.com)