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US Bank kicks off 'Go Mobile' payment trials with NFC-equipped iPhone case

Donald Melanson
Guest Contributor
Updated ·4 min read
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The iPhone may not come with built-in NFC, but that hasn't stopped it from finding itself at the center of plenty of NFC-based payment projects. The latest comes courtesy of US Bank, which is now kicking off trials of its new Go Mobile service in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Portland, Oregon. As with similar efforts from RBS and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (among others), this service relies on an iPhone case equipped with an NFC chip (iPhone 4 and 4S only), which lets customers pay by swiping their phone over an NFC reader at participating retailers -- in this case, anyone that accepts Visa payWave. Unfortunately, US Bank isn't offering many details about its plans beyond this initial trial, saying only that it's looking to introduce it "more broadly in 2013."

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U.S. Bank Launching "Go Mobile" App in Salt Lake and Portland Offering Cardless Purchases Using an iPhone

SALT LAKE CITY & PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2013-- New U.S. Bank FlexPerks Visa customers in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Portland, Ore. will be the first U.S. Bank customers invited to try a new mobile payment service called U.S. Bank Go Mobile. The service allows customers to quickly and securely pay for everyday purchases with a wave of their iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.

U.S. Bank is introducing the service in Beta with new FlexPerks® Travel Rewards Visa Signature® account holders before introducing it more broadly in 2013.

Newly approved U.S. Bank FlexPerks customers who qualify and opt-in for the service will receive a customized U.S. Bank Go Mobile iPhone case along with their new card. The case is equipped with a payment technology called Near Field Communication (NFC), which allows customers to make safe and secure purchases with U.S. Bank Go Mobile at thousands of participating retailers that accept Visa payWave. The case also has an extra battery extending the phone's charge time by more than 50 percent; something that should be of value to the frequent travelers who use FlexPerks cards.

"We have incorporated all of the feedback we have received from prior pilots and our customer research into this latest offering and we are excited to offer U.S. Bank Go Mobile in these two markets," said Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer for U.S. Bank Payment Services.

U.S. Bank Go Mobile lets customers securely pay for purchases with their iPhone and allows them to use their FlexPerks card, even when they don't have the card with them. The easy-to-use app makes payments quickly, securely and conveniently with the assurance that it's secured by bank-grade encryption, passcode protection, strong privacy protection, zero fraud liability and real-time fraud monitoring.

U.S. Bank is partnering with Visa, DeviceFidelity and Datacard Group to bring this payment technology to its customers. The iPhone case used for the Go Mobile payment service is developed and patented by DeviceFidelity. The sleek, durable design incorporates a certified portable secure element embedded into the microNFC card enabling the phone for payments. This microNFC and FlexPerks smart card will be personalized with Datacard® secure issuance solutions providing superior security and efficiency.

About Datacard Group
Datacard Group empowers financial institutions, government agencies and other enterprises in more than 150 countries to securely issue and personalize financial cards, passports, national IDs, employee badges, mobile payment applications and other credentials. Our flexible solutions enable Secure Issuance Anywhere™, which helps both public and private enterprises succeed in a global, digital and increasingly connected marketplace. Datacard is the world's best-selling brand of secure issuance solutions. For information, visit www.datacard.com. Follow us on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About DeviceFidelity
DeviceFidelity, Inc. develops plug-and-play technologies that empower a variety of institutions to deploy their NFC and mobile security services and applications on millions of mobile phones worldwide. Its patented In2Pay®, CredenSE and iCaisse solutions transform popular mobile phones into interactive and secure transaction devices. Using this technology DeviceFidelity has also launched moneto, the world's first commercially available NFC mobile payment solution for iPhone and Android. Committed to bringing innovation to mobile devices, the company has numerous global patents around its NFC microSD technology and iPhone accessory solutions. DeviceFidelity is a private corporation with headquarters in Richardson (Texas) and offices in San Mateo (California), London (United Kingdom) and Aix-En-Provence (France). For more information visit devicefidelity.com, follow us on Twitter @devicefidelity and at facebook.com/DeviceFidelity.

About U.S. Bank
Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $352 billion in assets as of September 30, 2012, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association, the 5th largest commercial bank in the United States. The Company operates 3,086 banking offices in 25 states and 5,080 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking, brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and institutions. U.S. Bancorp and its employees are dedicated to improving the communities they serve, for which the company earned the 2011 Spirit of America Award, the highest honor bestowed on a company by United Way. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web at usbank.com.

Source: U.S. Bank