White Label Alliance to offer smart card and online payment firms an independent contactless payment standard

The White Label Alliance (WLA) was formed in response to increasing global demand for next-generation, independent payment solutions. „WLA consolidates and sets independent standards for contact and contactless cards, mobile and other form factors and payment terminal acceptance,” according to the press release. WLA has also signed a strategic licensing agreement with JCB.

Following a 2019 announcement, IDEMIA, G+D and NXP® Semiconductors have launched the White Label Alliance (WLA), which responds to growing global demand for next-generation, independent payment solutions for domestic and private-label payment brands.

WLA sets and updates an open and comprehensive payment standard that enables ready-to-deploy dual interface payment solutions covering contact and contactless payment cards, mobile devices and payment terminal acceptance. Building on the EMV standard, WLA facilitates migration to contactless solutions and ensures interoperability across various system providers.

As a member-driven association, WLA is committed to evolve with any future developments as required by its members. WLA members are free to use this technology and its certification framework to boost contactless payment take-up.

With an aim to accelerate technology adoption and shorten time-to-market, WLA has signed a license deal with JCB, a leading global payment scheme. Under this deal, WLA members benefit from use of the JCB Contactless specification and kernel that most acceptance terminals support. WLA members can thus draw on existing and widely deployed JCB-approved terminal devices.

„I would like to warmly welcome JCB to WLA on behalf of our founding members G+D, IDEMIA and NXP. We all work together to create a truly independent solution, based on tried and tested technology, with rapid time to market for domestic payment networks, transport operators, private schemes and retailers. Our agreement with JCB will boost our appeal and this unprecedented payment industry initiative. It furthers our original goal to bring about a global independent standard,” said WLA President Jacques Doucerain

„As momentum toward contactless payments is gathering on a global scale, it is becoming critical that the interoperable contactless capability is more accessible so that a wider audience can benefit from the enhanced convenience and security. By offering our technology to WLA, we are delighted to work with banks, local networks and vendors to enable contactless implementation with less efforts and shorter time-to-market,” said Masaki Yokawa, EVP, Brand Business at JCB.