Emirates NBD customers can pay with smartphones

Emirates NBD's Visa credit and debit card customers can use their Android mobiles to make purchases at NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals.

Emirates NBD has announced the launch of Emirates NBD Pay, a near-field communication- (NFC) based mobile contactless payment service that enables customers to make in-store purchases via their mobile banking app.

The bank is the first in Central Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region to incorporate Visa's Token service technology to launch a contactless payment solution.

Emirates NBD's Visa credit and debit card customers can use their NFC-enabled Android mobile devices to make purchases at NFC-enabled point-of-sale terminals by upgrading their mobile banking app on the Google Play store to link the app to their credit/debit card. Once the merchant initiates the payment, the customer has to wave his/her smartphone near the terminal to complete the transaction.

The new launch is aligned with Emirates NBD's commitment to digital innovation. The bank is the market leader in payment cards in the UAE.

Suvo Sarkar, senior EVP and group head of retail banking and wealth management at Emirates NBD, said: "By being the first bank in CEMEA to sign up for Visa's digital enablement programme in 2015, we have succeeded in launching Emirates NBD Pay in a short timeframe. The service solidifies our commitment to adopting global best practices and introducing next-generation banking solutions to the region."

Secure transactions
Purchases made with Emirates NBD Pay are secure as Visa's Token service technology replaces cardholder information such as account numbers and expiry dates with a unique digital identifier, or token that can be used for payment without exposing a cardholder's personal account information.

Selim Ergoz, general manager, UAE, Qatar and Pakistan, Visa, said: "We are very excited to work with Emirates NBD to make contactless mobile payment a reality for their customers. Consumers are ready for the next wave of digital payments with growing interest in using their smartphone to make payments. Visa Token Services is helping to accelerate the move to mobile, by bringing the added benefit of a new layer of security."

- business@khaleejtimes.com