ASB Bank launches HCE in New Zealand

ASB Card
VIRTUAL VISA: ASB Bank has added HCE mobile payments to its mobile banking app

Customers of ASB Bank in New Zealand can now make host card emulation (HCE) based mobile payments using ASB Virtual, a new feature in the bank’s mobile banking app that enables payments using a Visa credit or debit card.

“You need to be an ASB customer with an ASB Visa card and have the latest version of the ASB Mobile app on your compatible Android phone — [which] must have Kit Kat 4.4+ and have NFC available,” ASB says.

“You can add ASB Virtual to any of your ASB Visa credit and debit cards that you have available in the Cards menu of your ASB mobile app. Log in to your ASB Mobile app, select Cards from the left hand menu, choose the ASB Visa card you want, tap Add ASB Virtual and wait for confirmation.

“Your ASB Virtual card will then show as a separate card in Card Control, below the physical card that it’s connected to. ASB Virtual is ready to use as soon as you’ve successfully added it to your ASB Mobile app. You can add ASB Virtual to as many of your ASB Visa cards as you want.”

Nationwide coverage

“The first ASB Virtual card you set up will become your Always On card and will automatically be used to make a payment,” the bank continues. “You can change your Always On card whenever you want using Card Control. You can use it anywhere [Visa] PayWave is accepted. Nationwide, there are currently over 30,000 terminals that are PayWave-enabled — that’s around a quarter of all EFTPOS terminals.

“For transactions over $80 (US$56), simply light your phone and hold it over the PayWave terminal and enter your PIN. Your ASB Virtual PIN will be the same as your physical ASB Visa card.

“You may have heard of some other mobile payment options and be wondering what we’re doing about them. Some of the popular ones we’re watching with interest are Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay — all of which aren’t in New Zealand yet.”

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