It seems the day is closer when the phone will be used to pay just as if we had a Visa or MasterCard as we have learned today.
Two announcements at the same time from Visa and MasterCard It could ultimately mean more options for payments through NFC connectivity. Both payment technology firms will be providing tools to support Host Card Emulation (HCE) in user accounts.
This announcement does not mean that those who have an account with Visa or MasterCard will start working directly with HCE, but in a not so distant time yes. Banks will be able to use specifications published by Visa and MasterCard to create or update HCE-supported applications.
Once these applications start to appear, you should be able to go to the "Tap and Pay" menu to select payment mode for NFC transactions, but it will only work on devices that have Android 4.4 or higher.
Visa has already deployed HCE As part of the updated payWave standard, MasterCard expects to launch the tools soon in the first half of this year 2014.
From MasterCard they say, «users are now buying and paying with the method that best suits them for their own needs and lifestyles from whatever means they have available. To have more options, we have accelerated the availability of services in the market. The use of HCE provides a very attractive way to launch a large number of NFC-based offers.«.
We already announced recently from here in an interview with Eduardo Centeno de Camintel, the infinite possibilities that a technology like NFC could offer, and that now the two largest card payments are launched with Android 4.4 and this type of connectivity, confirms what has been said and the future that awaits us ahead with our smartphones.
More information - All about NFC technology by Eduardo Centeno from Camintel