Vodafone Germany customers can now make NFC mobile payments using PayPal or a Visa credit card installed in the mobile network operator’s Vodafone Wallet. The service went live in Germany in 2014 and customers began testing NFC mobile payments using their Girocard — Germany’s most common debit card — in December. Vodafone Wallet can also be used by Mercedes-Benz E-Class drivers to lock and unlock their car doors.
Vodafone makes the smartphone a universal wallet and the Wallet even better. the company say. The partners Vodafone, PayPal and VISA bring two new means of payment into the Vodafone Wallet – the digital wallet on the smartphone. Customers can now use their PayPal account and their VISA credit card with their NFC smartphone for secure and convenient payment at the gas station, in the restaurant or in the supermarket.
Vodafone Germany CEO Hannes Ametsreiter: „This unique cooperation is a small revolution because, for the first time, our customers can use already known and, above all, widespread cash on their smartphone for non-contact payments with PayPal and VISA credit cards.”
„PayPal and the VISA credit card are now available to all customers in the Vodafone Wallet. Prerequisite: You have one of approximately 90 certified NFC smartphones , an NFC SIM with a runtime contract and a VISA credit card or PayPal account. Vodafone customers who do not already have a PayPal account can register directly with PayPal via the Vodafone Wallet app. In addition, the customer automatically enters into a contract with Raphaels Bank during the setup process. This is only for the execution of the money transactions and is free for the customer.”, according to the press release.
Customers simply keep their smartphone connected to the card reader at the cash desk. This works wherever contactless payment with VISA is possible. The Vodafone Wallet app does not have to be open for this, nor does it have to be a mobile phone connection. After each purchase, customers receive a notification of the payment made. Each transaction is stored in the Vodafone Wallet app and listed transparently in a transaction history. This ensures the best possible overview of all payments.
Digital payment is becoming increasingly popular
According to a recent digital payment study by VISA, the number of European consumers who regularly use a mobile terminal to pay or manage their money has tripled last year. And in Germany too, digital payment is increasingly accepted. In the meantime, 59 per cent of Germans use digital pay – in the age group between 18 and 24 it is even 78 per cent. The increasing use of digital payment depends to a large extent on the growing spread of non-contact payment in stationary commerce. And this is not only possible with contactless cards, but also with NFC-enabled smartphones.
Source: Vodafone Germany
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