Hang Seng Bank has announced plans to develop an innovative
mobile phone-based payment platform in partnership with PCCW
mobile, MasterCard Worldwide, digital security company
Gemalto and Samsung Electronics.
Utilising near-field communication (NFC) technology, the
service will enable customers to make purchases through their
credit card accounts by tapping their NFC-enabled mobile
phones at payment terminals equipped with contactless
readers.
This payment platform will provide greater convenience for
consumers and represents a significant advancement of retail
payment services in Hong Kong. An open architecture with a
common standard will be used to build the platform, allowing
other service providers and interested parties to participate
without investing significant resources in building their own
platforms. This will make NFC payment development more
sustainable in terms of cost and ease of adoption. The open
architecture design also facilitates fast and easy
development of NFC payment services. Together with the
customer convenience offered by the new service, this will
promote the wide acceptance and high penetration of NFC
payments in Hong Kong.
Ms Rose Lee, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive, Hang Seng
Bank; Mr Peter Pang, Deputy Chief Executive, Hong Kong
Monetary Authority; Mr Alex Arena, Group Managing Director,
HKT; Mr Vicky Bindra, President, Asia/Pacific, Middle East
and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide; Ms Suzanne Tong-Li, Senior
Vice President, Secure Transactions Asia, Gemalto; and Mr
Lawrence Chow, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Electronics
HK, officiated at a ceremony held today to announce this
cross-industry initiative.
Ms Lee said: "Hang Seng is committed to investing in the
latest technologies to provide customers with fast,
convenient and secure access to financial services. Our
mobile contactless NFC payment service will expand the range
of payment channels in Hong Kong and place us among the
leading cities as regards the use of advanced payment
systems.
"We are delighted to be partnering with PCCW mobile,
MasterCard Worldwide, Gemalto and Samsung in this exciting
initiative. Our collective expertise and experience will
drive the successful development of an attractive new payment
mode for consumers in Hong Kong."
More…
Mr Arena said: "We are pleased to partner with Hang Seng Bank
and take the lead in the field of NFC mobile payment
services. Our customers will soon enjoy the convenience of
secure mobile payments at participating retail outlets, and
we will launch other NFC mobile services progressively in the
near future to further enhance their mobile experience."
Mr Bindra said: "MasterCard Worldwide is proud to collaborate
with Hang Seng Bank in the launch of this mobile payment
project featuring MasterCard® PayPass™. With this new
generation contactless payment, Hong Kong consumers will, at
the touch of a smartphone, benefit from a safer, simpler and
more convenient payment tool. MasterCard is committed to
providing leading-edge technology and innovation through our
products in order to meet the demands of Hong Kong consumers.
In a market where
Hong Kong consumers each carry an average of two mobile
phones1, we
believe that our collaboration with Hang Seng Bank to offer
PayPass will meet the needs of this technology-savvy
market."
Gemalto will play an important role in ensuring the security
of the information stored on the SIM card of a customer's
mobile phone in connection with the service.
Ms Tong-Li said: "Gemalto congratulates Hang Seng Bank and we
are honoured to be part of this exciting commercial NFC
project. We are confident that our UpTeq NFC SIM and Trusted
Service Management solution will be pivotal in creating a
secure, interoperable and vibrant ecosystem, enabling
consumers to access a wide range of services on their mobile
phones.
"Having deployed over 50 NFC projects worldwide, we are
confident of offering the best-in-class solution to provide
the highest level of security and convenience to
consumers."
Customers will be able to use NFC-enabled mobile phones,
including
Samsung smartphones, to enjoy the service.
Mr Chow said: "We are committed to improving user experience
and have incorporated NFC functionality into various high-end
Samsung smartphones. We believe that software developers will
fully leverage the technology of NFC to continue to create
innovative applications and move smart living to the next
level."
The service is scheduled to be rolled out in the first half
of 2013.
More…
1 Source: Office of the Communications Authority
Hang Seng to launch mobile contactless NFC payment service in Hong Kong / 3About Hang Seng Bank
Founded in 1933, Hang Seng Bank operates around 220 service
outlets serving both personal and business customers. The
Bank also maintains a branch in Shenzhen for foreign currency
wholesale business, branches in Macau and Singapore, and a
representative office in Taipei.
Established on 28 May 2007, wholly owned subsidiary Hang Seng
Bank (China) Limited operates a mainland China network of 44
outlets in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Dongguan,
Fuzhou, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Tianjin, Kunming, Foshan,
Zhongshan, Huizhou, Xiamen and Zhuhai.
With total assets of HK$1,006 billion as at 30 June 2012,
Hang Seng Bank reported a profit attributable to shareholders
of HK$9,302 million for the first six months of 2012 and
HK$16,885 million in 2011. Hang Seng Bank is a principal
member of the HSBC Group, one of the world's largest banking
and financial services organisations. For further information
on Hang Seng Bank, please visit the Bank's website at
www.hangseng.com.
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