Telecom Lead Asia: Digicel Pacific, a mobile network
operator across the Pacific and a division of the Digicel Group, has
implemented VeriFone mWallet services and NFC-enabled payment systems, which
will allow its entire customer base access to the latest NFC technology to
facilitate Mobile Money transactions.
The next generation NFC payments solution is the result
of a partnership between Digicel, VeriFone, and New Zealand based currency
exchange company, KlickEx.
The service is being launched in the Kingdom of Tonga.
The company said that the new service is truly inclusive because customers do
not need a bank account, credit card or a smart phone.
The VeriFone mWallet services deployed with Digicel
enable convenient mobile money wallet transactions at the point-of-sale using
VeriFone’s biometric and contactless payment acceptance systems.
“Combining our existing Mobile Money product with VeriFone
mWallet services and NFC acceptance systems helps us offer our subscribers an
easy, convenient and integrated mobile money experience, said Darren McLean,
commercial director of Digicel Pacific.
The NFC-enabled merchant payment solution uses NFC tags
from Digicel linked to mobile numbers and VeriFone’s contactless payment
acceptance systems.
The company said that its Tonga subscribers are now able
to pay for goods and services with a tap of their phone at 50 merchants in the
capital of Nuku’alofa and both companies say that they plan to extend the new
service to the entire Pacific Island nation.
Digicel has launched the new solution initially to the
business district in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa.
In the coming months, the company said that hundreds
more contactless VeriFone payment systems will be installed in the region.
Furthermore, Digicel plans to introduce International
Bill Payments and other new services to its unique payments system over the
coming weeks.
Digicel Group buys Voila in Haiti
Recently, Digicel Group acquired Haitian mobile operator,
Voila, from its parent company, Trilogy International Partners of the U.S., for
an undisclosed sum.
