The other day, we told you that mobile payment service Isis would be up and running on Monday. Sure enough, those in the cities of Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah sporting an Isis enabled phone can tap the device on the terminal to pay for a purchase. The compatible phones need to be NFC enabled and have the Isis app installed. There are nine handsets that currently work with the service and another eleven will be available next year. The Isis servce is owned by Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, and has entered a field that Google has failed to capture with Google Wallet.
As with any debut for something of this ilk, Isis is starting off small and will eventually add more locations and more banks. Now we will have to see if this becomes a wake up call for Google. And yes, don't forget that Sprint is also working on its own mobile payment service. A list of locations that accept the service can be found here.
"The launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet is an important step toward accelerating mobile payments in the United States and maximizing convenience for consumers. “Isis’ open approach directly aligns with Visa’s strategy of enabling consumers to make mobile payments with whatever device they choose using the trusted accounts they already have."-Bill Gajda, head of mobile product, Visa Inc.
"MasterCard has been working with industry partners like Isis to turn mobile phones into secure payment devices and create better shopping experiences for both consumers and merchants. The use of NFC technology is a path to an improved consumer experience, and the launch of the Isis Mobile Wallet – combined with the growing number of NFC-enabled handsets – will help make mobile commerce a reality for millions of consumers."- Mung Ki Woo, group executive, mobile, MasterCard Worldwide
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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