US Bank has chosen Salt Lake City and Portland as test sites for an iPhone case that turns the handset into a contactless payments device. The bank is offering its FlexPerks Visa customers in the cities the chance to sign up for the Go Mobile trial if they have an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.

Participants will receive a customised US Bank case - developed by vendor DeviceFidelity - which incorporates NFC technology, enabling them to make contactless payments at retailers that accept Visa payWave. The case also has an extra battery, extending the phone's charge time by more than 50%. The bank says that its app makes payments quickly, securely and conveniently with the assurance that it's secured by encryption, passcode protection, strong privacy protection, zero fraud liability and real-time fraud monitoring. The microNFC and FlexPerks smart card will be personalised with Datacard secure issuance technology.

Dominic Venturo, chief innovation officer, US Bank Payment Services, says: "We have incorporated all of the feedback we have received from prior pilots and our customer research into this latest offering and we are excited to offer US Bank Go Mobile in these two markets."

Salt Lake City is already acting as a testing ground for Isis, the NFC-based mobile commerce joint venture being run by a group of US telcos.