MasterCard’s SDK for PayPass Integration

• MasterCard releases its Mobile MasterCard PayPass User Interface Software Development Kit (UI SDK) for Android and BlackBerry OS 7 to help issuers, MNOs and third party developers design PayPass-compatible apps.

• MasterCard’s SDK includes a Developer Guide, API Specification Documentation, Sample UI Application Code, Test Suite to Ensure Compliance and Apps, etc. in addition to enabling the integration of PayPass in payments apps, this SDK is also intended for m-banking and m-wallet offers.

• Finally, the White-Label Reference UI Application allows financial institutions to create a contactless mobile application within their own branded app.

Source: Press release

• MasterCard relies on the increasing number of NFC-equipped phones and the availability of more than 70 MasterCard-approved models. The network tries to ease PayPass’s integration process, catering for the development of its own solution and of the overall contactless industry.

• Banks and other payments players might find this initiative of interest: as many NFC-based projects are being delayed, this announcement could help them trust this technology and favour its large-scale deployment through relying on innovative offers.

• Mobile carriers could for their part be more sceptical: the SDK is precisely designed for NFC-compatible smartphones and could harm their essentially SIM-centric model.