Visa Unveils Partnerships for Mobile Payments and Connected Cars

visa at MWC 2015Visa has announced a series of partnerships over the first two days of Mobile World Commerce aimed at strengthening the companys presence and commitment to mobile commerce and ensuring it is set for the increasingly mobile world.

The global financial company was one of the partners announced for Samsungs new mobile payments solution Samsung Pay, supporting the manufacturers step into the market with its tokenisation solution that ensures security during transactions.

“Working in partnership with Samsung, we are able to bring secure mobile payments to millions of consumers around the world,” said Ryan McInerney, global president of Visa. “Combining Visas expertise in payment technology with Samsungs global leadership in creating innovative mobile experiences gives more choice to financial institutions who want to enable their customers to pay with the new generation of mobile devices.”

Visa also announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel, which operates mobile networks in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, to bring mobile payment services to seven nations across Africa, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ghana.

The partnership will build on Airtels existing Mobile Money solution, which enables subscribers to use their Airtel Money account to pay in stores and online wherever Visa is accepted.

“Mobile payments can transform the lives of people throughout Africa who commonly have access to a mobile phone, but not a bank,” said Vish Sowani, vice president of MNO partnerships for Visa. “For most new subscribers, this will represent their first payment account and bring some of the latest digital payment advancements into the everyday experiences of Airtels customers.”

Finally, Visa announced it had joined forces with Pizza Hut and Accenture to develop a proof-of-concept connected car that would serve as an example of how mobile technology can support online purchases on the go.

The car features Visa Checkout, the companys online payment service, mobile and Bluetooth connectivity, and beacon technology that will enable Pizza Hut restaurants to detect when the driver has arrived and is ready to pick up an order.

“By 2020 it is estimated that more than 250m vehicles worldwide will include some form of embedded connectivity,” said Bill Gajda, senior vice president of innovation and strategic partnerships at Visa. “As the number of connected cars on the road increases, so does our ability to bring secure online commerce to consumers everywhere.

“We initially focused on a specific use case – ordering a meal on your way home – but we envision a world where consumers can seamlessly make many of their everyday purchases from the car.”

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