Taiwanese Cathay United Bank recently launched a trial for mobile payments and transit in Taipei. The project enables bank customers to use their mobile phones to make contactless payments at local stores and to access the Taipei public transit system. The NFC-capable microSD cards used as a secure element in this project are supplied by G&D Secure Flash Solutions.
Cathay United Bank provides the participants of the trial with NFC-capable HTC incredible E NFC smartphones and issues mobile security card SWP microSD cards developed by G&D Secure Flash Solutions. The Mobile Security Card SWP microSD card is the first in Taiwan that is compliant with MasterCard PayPassTM standards.
This card has been approved for this trial project, which allows users to pay at popular local convenience and department stores by simply tapping their HTC phone on a specially equipped merchant terminal.
Additionally, the Mobile Security Card SWP has been approved by EasyCard Corporation to be used as a contactless “EasyCard”, the popular contactless transit card for the Taipei Metro (MRT) and buses.
As an alternative to topping up the card’s balance with banknotes, there is an auto top-up feature which allows the card’s balance to be topped up via MasterCard’s credit card functionality, so no cash is needed.
Pre-charged fares are deducted automatically from the card when the HTC NFC phone with Mobile Security Card SWP is passed over the EasyCard sensor on faregates, aboard buses or in merchant stores.
“We believe there is considerable market potential for the microSD form factor in mobile NFC transaction solutions. We are proud that Cathay United Bank chose our mobile security card SWP for their trial,” says Marcus Rosin, managing director of G&D Secure Flash Solutions.
