MasterCard Canada in partnership with Canada-based BMO Bank of Montreal and Research In Motion, has started a four-month trial on usage of its MasterCard PayPass ‘tap and go’ contactless payment technology through BlackBerry smartphones in Canada.
In this trial, participants will use PayPass mobile tag-equipped BlackBerry smartphones to make secure purchases at any of the 8,500 merchant locations in Canada that accept MasterCard PayPass.
The mobile payment will integrate with the device, with a confirmation email of each transaction sent to the BlackBerry smartphone, including purchase details such as the amount, retailer and date of transaction.
The mobile payments in this trial are made possible through a PayPass Mobile Tag, a self-adhesive device that may be attached to a BlackBerry smartphone to add MasterCard PayPass contactless payment capability. The mobile tag contains the same chip and antenna found in a regular PayPass card, with the addition of special material to reduce interference between the mobile tag and the phone to which it is attached.
PayPass is supported by multi-level security protections including the encryption of PayPass radio frequency transaction transmissions and the multiple security protections of the MasterCard payment system.
Scott Lapstra, vice president of market development at MasterCard Canada, said: “With this trial, MasterCard continues to lead the industry in bringing secure contactless payment to mobile devices in Canada. Consumers have embraced mobile applications and we expect this new trial to have a significant impact on the way goods and services are paid for at the point of sale in the future.”
David Heatherly, vice president of payment products at BMO Bank of Montreal, said: “BMO Bank of Montreal is excited to partner with MasterCard to continue the work of bringing mobile payments to Canadians. This pilot will allow us to evaluate many aspects of the mobile payment experience and is an important step towards mainstream use and acceptance.”
