Deployment of Contactless Solutions in Poland
- Mass commercialisation of contactless payment cards by the banks and their increasing acceptance by merchants in Poland show that this medium is particularly successful on this market.
- The two largest international card networks are already present in this country: Visa offers its PayWave card and MasterCard proposes PayPass which is now accepted by more than one hundred stores.
- These contactless payment cards increase transactions’ speed and are also more convenient for both merchants and customers for small amount transactions (under 20 euros on average).
- Polish customers seem particularly interested in contactless payment solutions and several players have positioned themselves on the development of both contactless cards and mobile solutions in this country.
- Visa is currently testing its Visa Mobile application (NFC payment solution) for iPhone and iPod Touch, and telecom operator Orange associated with the Polish bank Zachodni WBK and MasterCard for NFC payment trials in convenience stores. For these trials, 2,000 customers have been equipped with Samsung mobile phones embedding PayPass contactless technology to pay for purchases (below 50 zlotys, or slightly more than twelve euros). During this period of test (until the end of August 2011) Orange customers will not be charged additional fees to benefit from this service.
- At end 2010, Visa conducted a study in Italy, Poland, Turkey and in the United Kingdom which underlined a strong customer demand for mobile contactless payment: 41% claimed they would certainly or very probably use the solution developed by Visa. Also, iPhone owners stand as pioneers in using this payment technology: 57%, and even 87% agreeing to use an additional device to make contactless payments with their iPhone.
- In France, the GIE Cartes Bancaires extended its authorisation for national deployment of mobile contactless payment terminals. Until recently, Nice was the only town concerned by this approval.