Credit Cards Evolving into Contactless Payment Solutions, Say Platform Providers
Panelists at a conference session in Las Vegas debated the future of point-of-sale payments, and whether the cash register of the future will be fueled by contactless credit cards or by mobile phone applications. The debate took place during the CTIA conference in Las Vegas, where representatives of the banking, technology, and communications industries converged to explore new ideas for mobile devices.

MasterCard and First Data, two of the most established payment platform providers in the world, stand by their decision to support the technology behind NFC. Representatives from both companies claim the contactless chip, when embedded inside a standard-looking debit or credit card, offers consumers a familiar way to pay at convenience stores and gas pumps. The backward-compatible cards still carry magnetic stripes and raised numbers, making them acceptable on a variety of devices.

A spokesperson from PayPal used the panel to advocate that consumers would soon keep their wallets "on the cloud." Mobile devices running special applications, like those already in use by PayPal and Starbucks, would interface with advanced point-of-sale systems to practically eliminate fraud. Both sides conceded that these technologies continue to evolve, and that merchant demand holds the key to driving new credit card innovations.

Important Note! The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.


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joe

Joe Taylor Jr. is an internal business consultant for a Fortune 500 company, who writes about finance, culture, and design. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Ithaca College.