NAB launches Android contactless payments service

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news National Australia Bank (NAB) has launched a new payment service that lets customers use their mobile phone to make purchases, without the need to carry a physical card.

Called NAB Pay, and available as part of the bank’s mobile Internet banking app, the new service means customers with a compatible Android mobile device and a NAB Visa debit card can start making contactless payments via NFC effective immediately. The bank has said it plans to add support for more cards in future.

NAB Executive General Manager for Consumer Lending, Angus Gilfillan, said the development was driven by customers who increasingly want “simple and easy” digital payment solutions.

NAB also claims to be the first Australian bank to utilise the Visa Token Service in Australia, saying it will provide an extra layer of security for its customers.

Tokenisation replaces a customer’s credit card number with a unique digital ‘token’ that can be used for payments, without revealing sensitive account information.

A similar token system is already in use by the Apple Pay system, which launched in Australia in November with a limited number of banking partners.

“Tokenisation improves protection for customers because physical card details are never used in the payments process, reducing the risk of fraud,” Gilfillan said.

Last year, NAB announced a 10-year strategic partnership with Visa to collaborate on payments innovation and product development for customers.

“Our partnership with Visa is enabling us to significantly invest in our credit and debit card portfolio and act more quickly to deliver innovative solutions for our customers,” Gilfillan said.

“We have a number of exciting initiatives planned this year and look forward to extending the NAB Pay application to support NAB credit cards in coming months.”

To use NAB Pay, the customer’s phone must be ‘awake’ and unlocked. Then it is simply a matter of holding it to a card reader to complete the payment. NAB Pay is available wherever contactless payments are accepted.

8 COMMENTS

  1. No mention of the upcoming rollout of Android Pay? It’s being launched this year with support for the following banks: ANZ, Westpac, Bank of Melbourne, Bank of South Australia, Bendigo Bank, Cuscal, ING DIRECT, Macquarie Bank, and St. George :)

  2. interesting. I have a samsung gear S2, which should also work with the same setup.

    Might look into this and see what I can come up with. Paying a bill with my watch is definitely a geeky goal.

  3. http://www.nab.com.au/sites/personal/accounts/nab-pay.html

    upfront on the page it says you need net access on the phone, but in the FAQ it says you wont be required to have a data connection, but its utility will be limited. bit confusing, that.

    level 380, their faq answers this already –
    “Why has NAB limited the mobile payments facility to only VISA Debit card and when will other card types be available?

    This is the first release of NAB Pay. Future updates will make the facility available to other card types.”

    i am undecided if i will use this, but its good to see more payment flexibilities coming.

    • Yes I’m aware, I can read too. Regardless its a fail to me. As a NAB customer who DOESN’T have a debit credit card, I’m not interested in getting one, just cause NAB is playing is ultra safe and only wants to pony up MY money (in the way of debit credit) for NFC payments. No thanks

      • That doesn’t make any sense. You realise that unauthorized charges are always refunded no matter who’s money it is? Why would it matter if it’s “your” money or “their” money, when it’s all money that they are holding and are responsible for?

        • It does make sense if you think about, Most people have a much large credit limit on their credit card vs the money they leave in their debit credit card account.

          So by using MY money, aka debit credit card they limit the amount of unauthorized charges that could be racked up to the amount of money in my account, as above normally much less than my visa limit. All while they test and ‘feel’ the waters on this product.

          Yes unauthorized charges are refunded, but sometimes they take time to be refunded and if its on my debit credit card account, MY money is tired up while we wait for this process to happen.

  4. Worth noting you have to use an “official rom”.

    Tried to install it on my rooted HTC m7, and it refused.

    (I would absolutely fix this phone and get rid of the custom rom if it wasn’t falling apart, not worth the time investment)

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