Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ), Intesa Sanpaolo Card and American Express (AmEx) have collectively launched a pilot to test host card emulation (HCE) for mobile NFC payments at POS terminals in Croatia for the first time.
PBZ has become the first American Express card-issuing partner to test HCE on the American Express global network.
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With HCE, PBZ can store card account details in a secure, virtual cloud. As soon as a cardholder starts a payment using an NFC-enabled mobile phone, the card account and payment details are transmitted from the cloud to the NFC-enabled mobile phone and POS terminal, allowing the cardholder to execute the transaction in a quick and secure manner.
At the outset, the PBZ mobile NFC payment services will be enabled on smart phone devices, according to the company.
Using HCE, PBZ will be able to provide mobile NFC payment services to all of its cardholders in Croatia, without bothering about the mobile network operator, and over multiple payment networks.
Intesa Sanpaolo Card management board president Zdenek Houser said: "We are delighted that PBZ is the first financial institution within the Intesa Sanpaolo Group to test HCE for secure mobile NFC payments on the global American Express network.
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By GlobalData"At Intesa Sanpaolo Card, we have always been committed to investing in innovative payment technologies, and we are extremely proud that we have been able to quickly roll out this pilot with PBZ Group and American Express and enable fast, secure contactless payments using a mobile phone in Croatia."
To use the application, cardholders need to register for the mobile NFC payment service with PBZ, post which, they can enroll a payment card using two separate verification codes that are provided by PBZ. When inside a store, the cardholder can just wave the mobile phone in front of an NFC-enabled POS terminal to complete the payment.
