NFC (Near Field Communication) technology – an innovative and safe way of making fast payments via mobile phones without any cash
19.7.2012
Hrvatski Telekom, the leading telecommunications provider in Croatia introduces mobile payment based on the NFC technology. This technology allows payment of smaller amounts via mobile phones, without any cash (i.e. micropayment).
The NFC technology enables users to make payments simply by leaning the NFC-enabled mobile phone against the appropriate reader. The recently published results of the Gartner research company show that the number of services paid via mobile phones will grow in the future. According to the Gartner’s assessment, there are 212.2 million people in the world using mobile payment services and in the next four year this number would increase to 448 million people.
In the test phase, which will last by the end of October this year, NFC-based mobile payment has been enabled for some two hundred employees of Hrvatski Telekom that will be able to make payments on the selected points of sale by means of their NFC-enabled mobile phones.
“The implementation of the NFC technology by Hrvatski Telekom proves once again the position of the Company as the innovator on the Croatian market. The NFC technology reduces the need for wallets and enables fast and safe payment transactions. Experts estimate that in the future mobile phones would replace cash and credit cards as the physical embodiment of money. HT sees a large potential in this type of innovative technology and we plan to continue the expansion of NFC technology so that it would soon become commercially available to all users in Croatia”, said Irena Jolić Šimović, Management Board Member of Hrvatski Telekom and COO Business.
The NFC (Near Field Communication) is contactless short-range technology which enables the exchange of data. The technology is suitable for highly secure applications such as those intended for payment, use of various promotional offers, collection and use of loyalty points, access control, use of public transport and many more.
Furthermore, the organizers of the Olympic Games in London announced that this technology would be used for payment transactions and payment of the public transport during the Olympic Games.