Oi Paggo, the SMS-based mobile payments service owned by Brazilian mobile network operator Oi, is to run an NFC field trial using Gemalto’s Upteq N-Flex device later this year. The trial will focus on retail payments to begin with and will then be extended to include payment for public transport as well.

Gemalto’s N-Flex SIM+antenna devices enable near field communication functionality to be added to a wide range of mobile phones and are the first near field communication add-ons to conform to the Single Wire Protocol.

The devices are currently being tested by MasterCard, DBS Bank, StarHub and EZ-Link in Singapore and up to 100,000 units are expected to be used in a commercial deployment by Garanti Bank and Avea in Turkey from July.

The announcement is part of a series of expansion plans the company announced at the GSMA Mobile Money Summit this week.

Next: Visit the NFCW Expo to find new suppliers and solutions