(13 October 2011 – Australia) MasterCard, wireless operator Eitelsat and mobile device manufacturer Research in Motion are working together to launch NFC-enabled mobile shopping services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).According to Finextra.com, Eitelsat will act as the local storefront for the project, providing NFC-equipped BlackBerry phones to consumers.
The souped-up smartphones will give consumers the ability to use their phone as a mobile wallet and link their PayPass-enabled credit, debit or prepaid MasterCard card accounts to their mobile phone.
To make a purchase, consumers will need to tap their phones at a PayPass-enabled point-of-sale terminal and key in a PIN to complete a transaction.