Gemalto, the digital security player, announces that five banks currently use its Allynis service offer as part of the “Payez Mobile” trial for contactless mobile payment: the BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole-LCL, Crédit Mutuel-CIC, Caisse d’Epargne and La Banque Postale Groups. The Pegasus group, which consists of seven major banks and four mobile operators in France, launched the program in November 2007 with 1,000 user clients and 200 merchants in Caen and Strasbourg. The renewal of the Gemalto service contract until the end of 2008 reasserts its recognition as a trusted third party among the various parties involved in the mobile NFC ecosystem.

Studies conducted by the Pegasus group confirm users’ interest in this new practical, intuitive and fast payment means, with a customer satisfaction rate of over 90%. The “all-in-one” approach and ease of use stand out as the most popular features. For merchants, attracted by the innovative nature of this payment method, the benefits are seen in particular in shorter waiting times.

Gemalto’s services allow for the secure deployment and management of contactless mobile payment, regardless of the network used by the client. They facilitate the adoption of mobile phones – which are used almost universally – as a new means of payment. For financial institutions, the involvement of a trusted third party, ensuring that applications of various players hosted on the user’s SIM card are isolated from one another, is a key factor. Partnering banks and mobile operators, Gemalto is strengthening its position as an independent supplier of intermediation services during this new phase of the “Payez Mobile” programme.

“We are very proud of the trust placed in us by the banks using Allynis as part of the “Payez Mobile” program,” commented Philippe Cambriel, Executive Vice President of Secure Transactions at Gemalto. “Gemalto is a long-standing services partner of financial institutions. We now also provide them with secure mobile NFC payment services from our data center. This latest step is part of an ongoing strategy of enhancing our offering.”