Prague-based ČSOB has launched the first mobile wallet for Near Field Communication-based mobile payments in the Czech Republic—already a bastion of contactless payments—with plans for e-commerce payments down the road.
ČSOB’s NaNákupy mobile app leverages host card emulation (HCE) to enable NFC payments and manage other payment and shopping features within the wallet, including receiving transaction-notifications and storing retailer receipts and loyalty cards, ČSOB said in an Aug. 1 press release.
ČSOB, a unit of Belgium-based parent, KBC Group, built its HCE wallet with technology provided by Milan-based SIA, the companies said.
Initially the new wallet will enable NFC payments at retailers that support contactless technology, but by the end of the year, ČSOB customers will also be able to make e-commerce purchases within the NaNákupy app, store and share shopping lists and keep track of loyalty programs and product warranties, among other features, said Petr Hutla, a ČSOB board director, in the release.
“The Czech Republic has the highest proportion of retail NFC transactions in Europe [per capita] and therefore is an ideal place for mobile payments,” said Nicola Cordone, a senior vice president with SIA.
