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MasterCard tries to best EZ-Pass with PayPass
While riding around the roads, paying for tolls have always either been cash or a windshield mounted transponder like EZ-Pass or FasTrak. Well, for some motorists in Ohio, there's now a third option. For the next three months, select exit tolls along the Ohio Turnpike will be outfitted with self-service machines that accept MasterCard's PayPass. The trial run allows drivers wielding the appropriate cards to easily pay their toll with the contact-less system, not unlike the EZ-Pass. Vending machines around those exits will also sport PayPass options for added convenience. Hopefully, this convenience won't also be making life easier for hackers.[Via The Wireless Report]
Details emerge on Cingular's NFC plans
We'd previously noticed that Cingular was collaborating with Citigroup on some sort of mobile payment system in New York City, though details were pretty slim for the picking at the time; now the carrier has come out with full disclosure on exactly what it is they have up their sleeves. Like its Atlanta trial last year, the New York program involves Nokia handsets fitted with NFC (near-field communication) guts -- though for the sake of the trial participants, we hope Cingular is offering something a little more up-to-date than the lowly 3220 this time around. Unlike Atlanta, however, Cingular has switched up their financial partner from Chase / Visa to Citi / Mastercard, giving users the ability to use their phone for payment anywhere Mastercard's PayPass system is accepted. Parties involved expect the trial to last a total of three to six months, at which point we should all have a better perspective on how folks feel about shedding cash by tapping their cellphones against various surfaces. Of course, Japan seems to like it just fine -- so why not us?
