Westpac gears up for contactless payments with Gemalto

New Zealand bank Westpac will be offering customers a Gemalto payments solution to facilitate contactless payments on the back of mobile phones.

Westpac customers will be able to attach Gemalto’s Optelio Contactless Sticker to the back of their mobile device. Optelio embeds a secure EMV microprocessor that will be linked to Westpac customers’ credit or debit cards, enabling small payments at more than 15,000 contactles PoS terminals across the country.

The new solution will offer 1.2 million Westpac customers in New Zealand a better payments experience, the company says, reducing lines at checkouts across the country.

New Zealand is a pioneer in embracing cashless alternatives with less cash per capita circulating there than in other OECD countries,” said Michael Au, president of Gemalto’s South Asia and Japanese operations. “Awareness of emerging payment methods is very high, and New Zealanders are willing to try new improved ways to pay, especially the younger generation.

“The contactless stickers are an interim step before the move to near field communication on phones,” he added.

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