Sprint Conducting NFC Based Phone Payment Trial in Bay Area

Sprint Nextel is conducting a mobile payment trial with the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system and Jack In The Box in Oakland, California. The trial uses Near-Field Communications (NFC) equipped Sprint handsets to allow participants to pay for train fares and fast food.

Participants in the study will use the NFC equipped handsets at train stations to pay for trains, but can also connect with specially-equipped Jack In The Box and Sprint advertisements to get directions and discount offers. This is the first such trial to include discounts and special offers in the mix. The handsets are provided by Samsung, and Western Union will be providing the payment system, which automatically refills the customer's handset's stored credit.

NFC technology is used in many Asian markets as a way to reduce the number of items a person must carry. Credit card information is attached to the user's mobile handset, which allows it to be used to pay for items by simply waving the mobile phone across a special reader. There have been numerous tests in other markets, as well, with other mobile phone manufacturers and operators participating.