First Data Corp. said Tuesday it is offering a service to help mobile payments operators manage customers' credentials through a partnership with SK C&C USA.
Trusted Service Manager is aimed at systems using near-field communication technology to enable the use of mobile phones as a credit or debit card, the companies said.
The service permits companies involved in mobile payments to perform over-the-air provisioning of customer accounts.
"As more consumers go mobile while managing their busy lives, an increasing number of smartphones equipped with NFC technology are now being deployed across a range of carriers and handsets," Dom Morea, senior vice president and division manager of advanced solutions and innovation at First Data, said in a press release. "We're nearing a tipping point where connected consumers with access to a range of NFC-enabled devices and mobile wallets will be able to migrate all of the accounts in their leather wallet to their mobile device in order to make payments anytime or exchange value, anywhere."
In September, First Data, an Atlanta payments processor owned by the private-equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., announced the partnership with SK C&C USA, part of SK C&C Co. Ltd. of South Korea.
The intent of the partnership is to develop mobile payments services for First Data's clients.
