EnStream, the joint venture between Canada’s three leading mobile operators which operates the Zoompass mobile wallet service, has begun its first mobile contactless sticker trial.

Launched by Bell Mobility, Rogers and Telus in June 2009, customers can currently load funds into their Zoompass account via their bank account or credit card and then use their phone to send and receive money, including between friends and family, check their balance and review their transaction history.

Zoompass customers can also apply for a Zoompass Prepaid MasterCard, issued by Peoples Trust. This lets them make purchases at any MasterCard-accepting merchant and have the cost of the transaction automatically debited from their Zoompass account.

The new Zoompass Tags are contactless sticker versions of the existing prepaid cards, enabling consumers to make payments with their Zoompass account at the point-of-sale by simply touching their phone to the contactless reader.

“All Zoompass users will soon be able to pay for their morning coffee, gas at the pump, and lunch at a fast-food restaurant with a quick tap of their mobile phone,” says Robin Dua, President of EnStream. “Every transaction is logged in the Zoompass application and can be instantly seen on the mobile phone. This is very handy to track purchases and budgets in real-time.”

For the trial, EnStream is using the Convego Air Mobile stickers launched in November 2009 by Giesecke & Devrient.

“Our Convego Air Mobile sticker is the only sticker of its kind with a flexible body and a unique shuttle distribution method,” says Kim Madore, VP Emerging Technology and Market Development for Giesecke & Devrient. “It is the only sticker being trialed by the leading Canadian wireless carriers for use on their mobile phones.”

The trial is expected to last for three months and, longer term, is expected to lead to a widescale deployment of NFC-enabled Zoompass services. Last month, EnStream told NFC World that it is already seeing “strong usage of the Zoompass Prepaid MasterCard at retail stores where Zoompass users are able to purchase services using money in their Zoompass account.” The company is, however, reluctant to confirm the likely timing of a commercial launch.

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