Card payment solutions provider CreditCall is developing a payment app called CardEase Mobile that will enable fully secured Chip & PIN (EMV) or magnetic-stripe transactions on BlackBerry “and other smartphones”. The app effectively turns a the mobile phone into a secure wireless payment terminal for chip & pin, magnetic stripe and card-not-present transactions. It is due to launch in the autumn.

The card is read and the user’s PIN entered on a separate Bluetooth-linked PIN Pad that can be paired to the smartphone. The data is encrypted while in transit and on the phone, then sent over a wireless network to authorize the transaction. A transaction receipt can then be sent to the customer by email, SMS or in paper format from an optional printer.

Truly mobile payment solutions are typically used by field service technicians and mobile traders, and for queue-busting in busy retail environments. Although CardEase Mobile can be used as a standalone application, for selling clothing and merchandise at a festival, for example, it is aimed primarily at third-party developers who can integrate with other smartphone apps, such as retail order-taking or field service. CreditCall says it will also release an easy-to-use API.

“We have experienced huge interest in CardEase Mobile from across the globe, particularly in areas of the world where Chip & PIN credit cards are already in use,” says CreditCall marketing director, Peter Alcock. “We have shown the solution to a number of potential partners, which has created a real buzz about its capabilities.”

CreditCall is a specialist payment services provider and transaction gateway that provides ultra-high reliability card payment solutions, and operates a secure global transaction processing network. Its solutions are deployed for e-commerce, mail order, call centres, and virtually any kind of unattended terminal, including parking and ticketing machines, and self-service kiosks. 

You can catch a video demo of CardEase Mobile in action here.