On June 29 France Telecom Mobiles will launch a new service dubbed "Paiement CB Sur Mobile", enabling credit card payments from wireless handsets, including the Mobicarte MC936 CB pack. The new service will enable Itineris customers to make secure payments for remote transactions via Internet or mobile phone, as well as pay bills and add call credit their Mobicarte account.
A world first
France Telecom Mobiles is the first operator in the world to enable customers to make secure payments by credit card ("Carte Bleue") via a wireless handset. The standards for this service have been defined by the CB Credit Card Consortium. Customers can purchase goods or services from 27 partner merchants. The merchants are currently working with French banks to finalize integration of this solution in their payment systems.
Thanks to this innovative service, customers will also be able to pay utility bills and add call credit to their Mobicarte account.
By the end of the year the service will be adopted by nearly 1,000 e-commerce and mail-order companies.
Rechargeable CB kit for the ultimate in untethered communications
Mobicarte customers can now recharge their account with their Carte Bleue credit card directly from their cellphone, wherever they are and at any time. Users simply select "Services +" then "CB recharge" on their handset. They then choose one of the four recharge options: 70 or 140 francs valid for two months, 250 francs valid for four months, or one hour for 160 francs valid for one month. Once customers have made their choice, they simply insert their Carte Bleue credit card, key in their PIN number and validate the transaction, which takes just seconds.
The rechargeable CB kit, comprising a Sagem MC936 handset and a Mobicarte starter pack (including card with 144 francs of call credit) retails at 990 francs, with a special gift phone carrying case by Faconnable for the first 50,000 customers sold.
The Sagem MC 936 is a full-featured high-tech wireless handset boasting a high-definition screen, handsfree function and vibrating call alert. Available in blue and metal green, it also features a special key for direct access to mobicarte services.
Wireless phone and personal secure payment terminal, all in one
Customers can order products and services -- via Internet (and soon from WAP-enabled cellphones), phone, Minitel or by mail -- from companies affiliated with the "CB" bank card system. To pay for transactions, customers select "Paiement CB sur mobile", for example by clicking on a Web icon and entering the wireless number. A few moments later, the customer receives an SMS message to initiate the payment order. Once the order is accepted, customers simply insert their Carte Bleue credit card in the cellphone and validate the purchase by entering their PIN number. An authorization request is sent to the bank and the customer receives confirmation of the transaction.
The PIN number is never sent on the GSM network.
27 partner merchants
Partner merchants include Alapage.com, Aquarelle, Belem, Bricol Girls, Britany Shops, Chateauonline, Comtesse du Bary, Darty, Federation Francaise de Rugby, France Gastronome, Golfprim, Hertz, Daniel Guittat, Interflora, Investir, Web Shopping France, La Redoute, le-messenger.com, La Boutique bleue, Marcopoly, Microland, Promovac, TicketClic, TopAchat, 3 Suisses, EDF and France Telecom (for payment of phone bills using the Telefact service).
The target is one million customers equipped with dual-slot handsets (with secure smartcard reader) and 32K SIM cards (twice as powerful as the conventional SIM card) by the end of 2000. To achieve this objective, this summer France Telecom Mobiles will market two new Itineris packs containing either the Motorola P7389E or Sagem MW936 handsets, both integrating credit card payment and WAP functionalities.
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