Vodafone launches mobile wallet service

22nd Nov 2013 12:14

Vodafone has launched its new mobile wallet service, which has been designed to enable customers to make a range of everyday transactions through their smartphones. It is the first European mobile payment service built on the GlobalPlatform standard, a cross industry, non-profit association. In addition to enabling customers to pay for everyday goods, the wallet will also be able to hold travel cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and vouchers, complementing and over time replacing the plastic cards in a customer's wallet or purse, Vodafone explained. The first app available for the wallet is the Vodafone SmartPass, developed in partnership with Visa, which enables customers to pay for goods with their smartphone at any Visa contactless payment terminal in retailers around the world. Vodafone Wallet and Vodafone SmartPass will launch in Spain on Friday, Germany mid-December and the Netherlands, UK and Italy in spring 2014. Vodafone is also working with major European banks to integrate their card portfolios into the wallet. Christian Wirtz, Group mCommerce Director for Vodafone, said: "The Vodafone Wallet offers our customers the speed, simplicity and convenience of managing everyday transactions with their smartphone. "By building our service on the latest GlobalPlatform standard as opposed to a proprietary system, our mobile wallet is open to all third-party service providers, including banks and financial institutions, and we are focused on delivering the broadest service portfolio possible."NR