Shopping with a tap of your mobile phone will soon be a reality thanks to MasterCard Worldwide.

Auckland, April 03, 2007–MasterCard has launched an exciting and innovative new payment solution in Taiwan that is set to revolutionise the way consumers pay and use their mobile phones.

MasterCard, in cooperation with Taiwan Mobile and Taipei Fubon Bank in Taiwan, has embarked on a pilot whereby consumers will be able to pay for purchases using their Nokia 3220 mobile phone, utilising MasterCard® PayPass™ contactless payment technology.

“MasterCard is excited about the future of mobile phone payments, particularly as today’s consumers rely increasingly on their mobile phones for activities other than calls,” said Stuart McKinlay, New Zealand country manager, MasterCard Worldwide.

“The Taiwan pilot follows a number of successes worldwide for PayPass which is proving a fast and efficient way for MasterCard cardholders to make purchases.”

MasterCard PayPass offers a convenient alternative to cash that allows for smaller transactions to be completed more quickly, securely and easily than ever before. PayPass users simply need to tap their PayPass enabled phone, card, or device on the PayPass reader and the transaction is complete.

By leveraging Near Field Communication (NFC) and Over-The-Air (OTA) technology, MasterCard has been working closely with industry players to add its PayPass capability to an NFC-capable phone in order for it to carry the same payment functionality and services that payment cards provide.

Those involved in the pilot will be able to simply and securely download their personal credit card information through a few simple steps on their mobile phone thanks to downloadable OTA contactless payments provisioning software being implemented within the mobile network.

Last month Taiwan Mobile began selecting customers to test the MasterCard PayPass payment feature embedded in Nokia 3220 mobile phones. Each consumer trying out the phone will also be able to download e-coupons to receive immediate discounts and offers.

According to ABI Research data, mobile phones with NFC technology are a growing trend, with shipments poised to surpass 200 million by 2009. MasterCard’s roll-out of MasterCard PayPass technology on mobile phones leverages NFC technology and places Taiwan as the first market in Asia/Pacific to launch the innovative payment solution.

MasterCard, in collaboration with its customer financial institutions, has to date (as of Q4 2006) issued nearly 13 million PayPass cards and devices with more than 46,000 merchants accepting PayPass worldwide.

A number of MasterCard PayPass pilots have been undertaken in Australia, the first being a Commonwealth Bank pilot launched in central NSW last year and more recently MasterCard teamed up with Westpac to conduct PayPass trials with merchants around its Sydney headquarters on Kent Street.

Tina Chiang, senior vice president, Greater China, MasterCard Worldwide, said Taiwan has, and continues to be, a leading market in introducing advanced technology. Last year special edition MasterCard PayPass watches were introduced in Taiwan to coincide with the 2006 FIFA World Cup. MasterCard in Taiwan also introduced a 3D Soccer Ball Key Chain for consumers in Taiwan. Both launches were marked as a first for MasterCard in transforming everyday consumer items, like watches and mobile phones into secure contactless payment devices.

MasterCard PayPass Benefits

For retailers, MasterCard PayPass is designed to be simple and faster than cash, thereby speeding consumers through the check-out process, provide a reliable, trusted payment method that works well in “quick pay” environments (such as convenience stores), and help attract new customers and increase their loyalty.

For consumers MasterCard PayPass is designed to be faster and more convenient than using cash for small ticket payments. PayPass also provides better record keeping than cash and increases the feeling of security as cardholders remain in control of the card/ device during transactions.

PayPass has been rolled out in 13 markets across the globe. PayPass speeds consumers through the checkout process at such locations as McDonald’s (Lebanon, Mexico and USA), Burger King (Turkey), 7-Eleven (Australia, USA), Starbucks (Turkey and Malaysia), Petro-Canada (Canada) and in many other types of merchants including supermarkets, cinemas, gas stations, fast food and transit.

PayPass technology has also proven popular in sports facilities, including football and baseball stadiums and professional golfing events.

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 over 16 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to http://www.mastercard.com.