In the last few days we’ve had mobile payment news from Barclays and the Payments Council. Today comes the launch of a product from BOKU that involves a MasterCard debit card and a mobile phone.
BOKU is best known for its work with online merchants and mobile operators, enabling customers to make purchases that are charged to their mobile phone account. It’s now launching a new global mobile payments system that allows shoppers to use their mobile phone as a wallet.
The new BOKU Accounts payments system will be available to mobile network operators. Customers of participating operators will be given an online account, a mobile app, a MasterCard debit card and an NFC sticker that acts as a duplicate debit card. They’ll be encouraged to attach the sticker to their phone, turning any device into a ‘mobile wallet’.
Topping up the online account will add funds to the MasterCard debit card, enabling the conventional card or NFC sticker to be used at retailers. Customers will also be able to transfer money to other BOKU account holders.
The BOKU system will be demonstrated next Monday and Tuesday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. It’s expected to be available in the UK after Easter.
Payment service provider WorldPay was recently announced as the latest organisation to select BOKU as its mobile payments partner, which means WorldPay’s merchants can now enable their customers to pay for purchases via their mobile bill.