PURCHASE, New York, November 17 /PRNewswire/ -- DnB NOR, Norway's largest bank and a leader in mobile financial services, announced today its plan to launch a mobile payment services trial for its MasterCard cardholders. Using the MasterCard Mobile Over-the-Air Provisioning Service, the first service of its kind that enables issuers to perform over-the-air personalization of PayPass in mobile devices, DnB NOR cardholders will be able to trial the service that will allow them to use their Near Field Communications (NFC)-enabled mobile phones to make payments wherever MasterCard(R) PayPass(TM) is accepted. Telenor, a leading provider of telecommunications services worldwide, is also a partner in the trial.

The MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service is a Web-based service that securely transfers encrypted consumer payment card details via the carrier network into the high security area of the consumer's NFC-enabled mobile phone, on-demand and in real time. The service allows financial institutions to launch contactless payment programs on their MasterCard and Maestro cardholders' mobile phones -- quickly and simply.

Since launching the MasterCard Mobile Over-the-Air Provisioning Service in 2008, MasterCard has extended the service to include the EMV configuration supporting Maestro PayPass and Maestro Prepaid using the Mobile MasterCard PayPass M/Chip(TM) application. This extension makes the service available to financial institutions in the regions where chip cards are prevalent, such as Europe, Canada and Latin America. By investing in the delivery of new capabilities for issuers and their cardholders, MasterCard is making the launch of PayPass programs easier and faster on mobile phones, giving issuers a source of differentiation and bringing cardholders convenient new ways to use their MasterCard accounts.

"We are committed to offering our customers mobile financial services to make their lives simpler and more manageable as they increasingly embrace mobile technology," said Peer Theien, General Manager, Group Payments and Infrastructure, DnB NOR Bank ASA. "By partnering with MasterCard, we have been able to implement a simple program with minimal infrastructure investment that gives our cardholders the ability to make PayPass payments with their mobile phones."

The ubiquity of the mobile phone and consumers growing dependence on it in their daily lives combined with the continual advancement of mobile payment technology creates vast opportunity for mobile payments. With the MasterCard Over-the-Air Provisioning Service, financial institutions are able to capitalize on this opportunity by offering a broader set of services that enhance their MasterCard and Maestro cardholders' overall banking experience.

"By managing the mobile phone payment personalization process from beginning to end, we are continuing to build a valuable mobile payments ecosystem that benefits all involved parties, including mobile phone operators," said Joshua Peirez, Group Executive, Innovative Platforms, MasterCard Worldwide. "We are very pleased that we're able to successfully implement this service with DnB NOR so that they can deliver innovative payments services to their cardholders in a way that creates value and convenience."

Peirez added, "We will continue our efforts to create a viable mobile payments ecosystem to allow our customers to benefit from the growing trend toward mobile payments, to build greater value in their cardholder relationships as well as to generate value for all others involved."

One Stop Shopping for Mobile Payment Programs

With MasterCard Over-the Air Provisioning Service, financial institutions get one-stop-shopping for assistance with the personalization of mobile devices, including single high security access to the latest certified OTA service providers, end-to-end management and support, and interface to MasterCard-approved handsets.

In order for accountholders to use their mobile phones to make purchases, they need to have a mobile phone equipped with NFC capabilities and a mobile data subscription. First the PayPass application is encrypted and transferred onto a high security area of a consumer's mobile phone via the mobile network. Next the PayPass application is personalized with the consumer's individual payment account details. MasterCard has created a simple way for issuers to enable their accountholders to perform this process themselves over-the-air. The service will be made available to consumers through their issuing banks' websites.

About the MasterCard Mobile(TM) Program

MasterCard is leading a new wave of mobile payment innovation that is creating a more efficient system of global commerce, displacing cash and making transactions faster, easier, and more secure for consumers, merchants and financial institutions. Through the MasterCard Mobile Program, MasterCard is focused on delivering products and services that combine payments and communications onto one "anywhere" consumer device including: contactless payments, person-to-person payments, mobile commerce, mobile top-up and reload, and information and marketing services. Numerous MasterCard mobile trials are underway or have been completed in high-potential markets around the world.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 21 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial-institution customers and merchants. Powered by the MasterCard Worldwide Network and through its family of brands, including MasterCard(R), Maestro(R) and Cirrus(R), MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com.

    
    Contacts:

    Erica Harvill, MasterCard Worldwide, +1-914-249-6848,
    Erica_harvill@mastercard.com

    Kaitlin Jaxheimer, Weber Shandwick, +1-212-445-8261,
    kjaxheimer@webershandwick.com