Bank of America trialing Mobile Wallet program, uses NFC-enabled BlackBerry smartphones

By on Feb 25, 2011 at 12:03 PM
Business February 25, 2011

According to a BGR source, Bank of America has started inviting select customers to trial its new Mobile Wallet payment service program based on NFC technology. The program only works with BlackBerry smartphones at this point, and in order to make your existing phone NFC-capable, Bank of America is sending testers a new battery cover in addition to a microSD card. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 and 8530; BlackBerry Bold 9000, 9650 and 9700; and BlackBerry Tour 9630 are all supported devices. Payments can be made at any location where Mastercard’s PayPass is accepted, and the program will become active very shortly “this Spring.” We have a couple shots of the program materials after the break!

Thanks, Dylan!

Tags:
, , , , , , , ,
35 Comments

Related Articles

  • Senor Chang

    I’m always about new things and making things convenient… except when it comes to banking. I may sound like your grand daddy, but I think only a fool would bank via a cellphone.

    Not against paying w/ a cellphone, just saying I would fund it from a source that doesn’t connect back to my bank or at least find out how secure it really is.

    • Chut Pata

      You are saying that because your favorite platform WP7 is the most hacker-friendly one. On the other hand even governments hate BB for its security.

    • Peter

      You have no clue how this works. It works exactly like a regular credit card would work. NFC is already in use today!!!!!! The only difference is now you will always have access to payment even when you don’t have your wallet. God, some people really need to get a clue.

    • Anonymous

      This has got to be the most DOA thing ever. You can’t ram this down the market’s and people’s throat. It has to grow up organically and there’s a huge lack of existing NFC infrastructure to support this.

      The way it grew in Hong Kong and Japan was through simple cards (no expensive, stratifying gadgets), people used it to pay for their MASS-TRANSIT where it made the most sense, and then it pulled in the ecosystem of local retailers, etc. THEN, they moved to phones because it’s what they all also carried around and made it one less item in the pocket.

      NFC on phones in the USA is just ass-backwards! Even now, a NFC-enabled Discover or VISA card has trouble getting mass deployment and acceptance, in phones it’s entirely DOA. You could’ve done it already with Bluetooth for years and where did that go?

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

    The thing I like about NFC banking is that my phone is secured with a pin, my wallet is not.

    • QNX Please

      Which is why this is only a BlackBerry at the moment. They seem to be the only phones remotely concerned with security. But hey at least people can use their fart apps to cheer them up after all their money got stolen from their unsecured NFC capable phone.

      • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

        Wait so are you for or against fart apps?
        Is a pin to get into the phone not enough to keep someone from enabling the nfc app? Also the bank will reimburse any money lost from fraudulent transactions, wont they?

      • http://twitter.com/DylanWest Dylan West

        The bank will reimburse the money, well, Bank of America will at least. They have a “Zero-Liability Guarantee.” A pin is seemingly enough for somebody to not get in to your phone, if they are a normal person, however an iphone, android, or WP7 can easily be hacked in no time, which would give them quick access to your card. Blackberry’s on the other hand are extremely more secure, so for the time being, they are the safest platform to use NFC in this way on. In my opinion.

  • serpentor

    Who knew BBs already had NFC.

    • Saber

      They aren’t did you even read the article? and i quote “in order to make your existing phone NFC-capable, Bank of America is sending testers a new battery cover in addition to a microSD card.”

      • serpentor

        actually no, i didn’t.

      • Chut Pata

        Keep in mind, BOA trusted Blackberry and Blackberry only!

      • http://twitter.com/ncsurob Robert Marshall

        Because that is the kind of phone used at BoA……so employees test first, then customers

  • http://twitter.com/DylanWest Dylan West

    Honestly, though some may claim it as in inconvenience, my favorite part about the program is the fact that I have to open the Mobile Wallet application before tapping to pay. Which should keep people on the streets from being able to “digitally pickpocket” me, as can easily be done with the Credit Cards.

    • Geust

      people should embrace technology… dont be afraid of changes.. as for digital pocketing.. it happens everyday as is…

  • BoLdBuRrY11

    oHhhHhH YeEeEEeEEee JiGgA jIggA BlaCkBuRryzZzz gAnNa TaKe Ova Da wOrLD!!!!11

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh yeeEeEEeeeEe hit me on my bLaCk burry,,,,,,,,,,
    mah black burry burry
    uh mah black burry burry

    uhh uhh huhhh mah black burry burry

    whAthCaa whAtchAa know jigga jigga

    blackburry iS the bEsT jigga jigga

    yeh uhh uhh yeah uhh uhh you so nice black burry

    uhh yeah

    oh sh*t you so nice burry, i wAnNa c U m on you blackk burry

    uhh yeah hit me on mah black burry, mah black burry burry

    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

      I luh dis song!

    • Anonymous

      LOLzzzzzzz here it is again i loveeeeee thissss bahahahaha!!!

  • Geust

    L) this news along with AngryFarm for BlackBerry makes it a good day for RIM in media ?

  • Chut Pata

    When it comes to serious business, businesses would be serious about Blackberry only.

    • Richard

      That is all about to change for Android. It will be on par with Blackberry security because they are releasing Google Wallet for NFC payments.

      • Bullyboyb

        Lol, Google can release anything they want. However do the big businesses trust android enough to allow their customers to use it? Guaranteed some accounts and credit cards will not work on some mobile platforms and I suspect this will mostly be the case with android. Especially seeing how open source it is and Google has very little control on what oem’s do with the software and how users can just temper with the roms Willy nilly.

        Just my £0.02. I might be wrong.

      • Johnny Boyd

        Hello bullybob, unfortunately, i am bound by a NDA which I signed but I can tell you that all major credit cards can right now be used on the Nexus S as of yesterday. The phone is extremely secure and yes major banks and credit cars companies have certified its security. I happen to know many major businesses who have signed up to use Google wallet on Android phones. The future has begun. The NFC tidal wave is coming. Grab your board and hang on. Don’t be fooled by what other people tell you. This is big and large retailers and banks are standing at the starting line. In the USA NFC is about to explode with Google leading the charge.

  • Therealjammer

    What about the iPhone users?

    • Anonymous

      jailbroken the day they come out…not sure I would want this on that. Given that in the act of jailbreaking you can access all passwords on the device.

    • Peter

      You want NFC payment on your iPhone? Seriously? Why not just walk around with your credit card number tattooed on your forehead?

  • max

    Wrong choice, bank of America. With Blackberry morons and rim jobs you are stepping back to the 90′s.

    • BoLdBuRrY11

      HaTeRs GanNa Hate…

      LoVeRs GaNna Love…
      I DoNt evEn waNt, nOne of tHe aBove…
      I WanA PisS on yOu..

  • http://twitter.com/kukhuvud kukhuvud

    BofA’s mobile app still hasn’t been updated for BB OS 6. Call me skeptical that it’s a wise idea to beta test this app.

  • Anonymous

    eCeipt FTW!

  • Anonymous

    Srry, but I REALLY dislike anything Bank of America, they are crooks that should be in jail!

    http://www.web-anonymity.it.tc

  • Craig Yelin

    Test

  • http://www.facebook.com/elleryfamilia Ellery Familia

    I’m excited about this… I got an invitation and should receive my kit soon!

  • http://twitter.com/jamssx James Southward

    If you have a Citi credit card – go to your online access and request a cell phone payment tag. Anyone can get one and it attaches to the battery door of ANY callphone. Who need BoA or crackberry?

  • Axel Markos

    I just heard that this is the DeviceFidelity microSD solution that Bank of America and Visa were testing last year. Looks like they have expanded it to general consumers. Been trying to get a hold of that product for some time now. Wonder if i can sign up by opting in.

blog comments powered by Disqus