Isis announced plans to roll out the Isis Mobile Wallet nationwide later this year, following successful pilots in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Using the NFC technology, Isis allows consumers to pay, redeem coupons and present loyalty cards with a tap of their smartphone. So to use this service, users need an NFC-enabled smartphone and a SIM-based secure element, which together make the device Isis Ready.
Almost 20 million smartphones in the U.S. currently feature NFC technology, with millions more being shipped each month by three of the nation’s leading carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless — which are also the three companies behind the Isis Mobile joint venture.
As I’m writing this, 25 of the top 100 national retailers have deployed or are deploying contactless terminals and by the end of the year, you’ll be able to pay with your phone at some 1.3 million locations in the U.S.
There you have it folks – soon you’ll be able to leave your wallet at home and carry only the smartphone around. Pretty neat, when you think about it. 😉