MasterCard Worldwide has certified more NFC-equipped smartphones for use with MasterCard PayPass contactless payment technology.

The new devices include the BlackBerry Bold 9900 & 9790, BlackBerry Curve 9360 & 9380, HTC One X, LG Optimus Elite, Nokia 603, Samsung Wave Y, Sony Xperia S and Sony Xperia P.

Nokia has announced that it’ll be producing an NFC version of the Nokia Lumia 610 smartphone.

The Nokia Lumia 610 NFC has been certified for contactless payments with MasterCard PayPass technology and Visa payWave. It’s expected to launch on Orange networks early in the third quarter of 2012.

Mobile payment company iZettle, which launched its plug-in ‘chip card’ reader and associated mobile payment app in Sweden last year, has now launched a beta version of its service in Denmark, Finland and Norway.

The first 5,000 chip-card readers in each country will be available free of charge.

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.

Digital development company Noise Inc. has developed an iPhone app that will allow fans to vote in the BRIT Awards 2012.

The agency has worked with MasterCard to create the first-ever application that allows fans to vote via their mobile phones.