CTIA-The Wireless Association® Releases “Guidelines for Mobile Giving”

October 12, 2011

Adherence to the Guidelines provides qualified charities a 60 percent discount for text-to-give campaigns that use dedicated short codes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – CTIA-The Wireless Association® today released its “Guidelines for Mobile Giving” to provide qualified charities a framework and 60 percent discount for mobile giving campaigns that use short codes. Created after months of collaboration among carriers, mobile giving service providers, major non-profits and non-profit accreditation groups, the Guidelines provide charities with “best practices” to help them create successful and reputable mobile donation campaigns.

The use of text message short codes for charitable donations was initially developed after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and gained prominence after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

The “Guidelines for Mobile Giving” will provide qualifying charitable organizations greater control over their unique short code. While charities may continue to conduct campaigns on shared short codes, a dedicated code mitigates donor confusion for qualifying organizations.

To qualify to lease a unique code at the discount, a charity must be accredited by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance or receive three- or four-star rating from Charity Navigator. Accredited charities can mix communications, solicitations and mobile giving with their code as long as they follow the Mobile Marketing Association’s guidelines and provide consumers with a separate opt-in for each type of activity. In addition, a single code may be leased by chapter-based groups and used by all chapters or for unified campaigns.

“After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to Haiti’s earthquake to Japan’s tsunami, Americans have generously sent millions of dollars in charitable donations via their wireless devices. The ‘Guidelines’ will help provide consumers with peace-of-mind when sending a text donation while ensuring their accredited charities are in accordance to their donors’ intent,” said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association.

For more information about CTIA Guidelines for Mobile Giving, please visit: http://files.ctia.org/pdf/CTIA_Charitable_Giving_Guidelines_101211.pdf

###

CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry’s leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

CenPOS users have many options for accepting payments during a disaster. CenPOS can be accessed from many endpoints, minimizing the potential for business disruption. If you’re unable to run operations from the affected physical location, all prior sales and financial data is instantly available from your temporary operations and other then getting to a device with internet access, your operation is fully functional at all times.

Download the CenPOS Payment Processing Mobile Disaster Planning Options (pdf) and see also, related article on Payment processing emergency back up during disasters.

Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions, data exchange, and wireless connections between two devices in close proximity to each other, usually by no more than a few centimeters. NFC has three uses:

1. Connect electronic devices
2. Access digital content
3. Contactless transactions

NFC has been available with MasterCard Paypass for years. NFC can be used for mobile phone payments, in conjunction with an electronic wallet. Google launched it’s Google Wallet in early 2011. There are significant limitations at this time, however, Google developed the operating system for the Android smart phones and recently also purchased Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. for $12.5B. With that heavy investment, plus Visa and MasterCard’s push, we can expect some adoption of the technology.

Will NFC become the US standard for mobile payments? I have my doubts. Visa announced incentives for merchants to offer NFC in August 2011.  I predict that there will be heavy penetration in US market for chip-enabled credit cards but that chip enabled mobile payments may remain elusive as the leading mobile solution. SMS can be used with any cell phone and wouldn’t it be better to reach everyone, rather than the minority few worldwide that have the ‘right’ device? Plus, at this point, there is not even consensus on NFC standards. With Google controlling manufacturing, we can expect they will exert some control over future standards.

• Merchants will need to buy or update equipment. Most units retail for over $700 per unit, excluding a receipt printer.  Major department stores may have the capability, but most other businesses do not.
• Merchants need to interface with technology to process the transactions. For example, CenPOS.
• Consumer needs to have an NFC device. Smart phones only account for 1 in 4 mobile phones as of 2011. NFC capable smart phones is a tiny fragment, with the first units just being tested mid-year 2011.
• Japan is arguably the most advanced cell phone market on earth, yet NFC is not widely used. Instead SMS is king.

Is NFC secure? This is an age old argument. NFC is not new technology but then again,  the US infrastructure for payment processing has had little to no innovation in the last three to four decades. Personally, I’m not trusting NFC with my cell phone.

Is NFC good for merchants? Yes. Merchants may benefit in the future if interchange is adjusted lower to reflect the purported lower risk associated with EMV chip credit and debit cards. Additionally, Visa is waving PCI DSS, however, MasterCard and American Express have not offered the incentive.

Recommended Articles

Is NFC Secure Enough?
NFC is way overhyped, says mobile payment leader Sybase

Credit Cards to become obsolete? by CBS News
NFC (Near Field Communications) – Was this near sighted?, by Oracle

Approved Contactless EMV reader Products, by EMVco, which is owned by American Express, Visa, JCB, MasterCard et al to maintain global standards.

McLEAN, Va. (Aug. 29, 2011) – The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has commissioned an independent study to take an in-depth look at the cost effectiveness of factory image programs that require new-car dealers to invest billions of dollars each year.

NADA Chairman Stephen Wade, who’s traveled across the country over the past several months, speaking to dealers says one resounding concern he’s hearing over and over, regardless of dealership size or brand, is the frustration dealers have with their manufacturer’s facility image programs.

“These investments have a significant impact on dealer balance sheets, in many cases severely straining them and in some cases even persuading a dealer to leave the business rather than commit to such a large investment,” said Wade, a multi-franchise dealer in Utah and California.

NADA has undertaken this fact-based, objective study to uncover both the both positive and negative factors that drive return on investment so that dealers are in a better position to make informed, rational and fact-driven decisions on facility investments.

“The perception today is that the decisions made by dealers on facility investments are often based on opinions, pressure and personalities, which is no way to guide significant spending,” Wade said. “We want to find out the truth so these important decisions can be based on facts, not perceptions.”

Surprisingly, little evidence on return on investments to either manufacturers or dealers exists. Factory programs are typically justified on qualitative grounds such as, “the store image must support the brand” or “customers expect all our stores to offer a similar look and feel,” he said. Solid economic arguments such as, “updated stores sell X more cars for every $1 million invested” or “CSI scores soar when a facility is upgraded,” are generally absent.

“By moving the facilities debate away from opinion and assertion and more towards facts and data, we expect the findings of the study to be extremely valuable to dealers and manufacturers alike,” Wade added.

The study, conducted by industry consultant Glenn Mercer, is expected to be completed by late November with a detailed White Paper to follow by the end of the year. Mercer is a former partner with McKinsey & Company’s automotive practice.

About NADA

NADA, founded in 1917, represents nearly 16,000 new-car and -truck dealerships operating about 32,500 franchises, both domestic and international. For more information, visit www.nada.org.

Visa is announcing plans to accelerate the migration to contact chip and contactless EMV chip technology in
the U.S. The adoption of dual-interface chip technology will help prepare the U.S. payment infrastructure for the
arrival of Near Field Communication (NFC)-based mobile payments by building the necessary infrastructure to
accept and process chip transactions.

Not only will chip technology accelerate mobile innovations, it is also expected to enhance payment security
through the use of dynamic authentication. Chip technology greatly reduces a criminal’s ability to use stolen
payment card data by introducing dynamic values for each transaction. Even if payment card data is
compromised, a counterfeit card would be unusable at the point of sale (POS) without the presence of the
card’s unique elements. By eliminating static authentication, we reduce the value of stolen cardholder data,
benefiting all stakeholders.

Visa’s plan includes merchant incentives to upgrade to EMV chip-enabled terminals, requirements for acquirer
processors to support chip acceptance and the introduction of U.S. liability shift policies.

Specifically, Visa will waive Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance validation
requirements to encourage merchant investment in contact and contactless chip payment terminals. Visa will
also require acquirer processors to ensure that their systems support dynamic data acceptance (i.e., chip) and
will institute a domestic and cross-border counterfeit liability shift.

Visa’s Counterfeit Liability Shift Policies

Visa intends to institute a liability shift in the U.S. for domestic and cross-border counterfeit transactions
effective 1 October 2015. Visa’s global POS counterfeit liability shift policies are designed to encourage EMV
chip card issuance and acceptance in participating geographical regions, effectively creating a more secure
environment for transactions within and between each participating Visa region. Note: The liability shift
encourages chip transactions because any chip-on-chip transaction (i.e., a chip card read by a chip terminal)
provides dynamic authentication data, which helps to better protect all parties.

With this type of liability shift, the party that is the cause of a chip-on-chip transaction not occurring (i.e., either
the issuer or the merchant’s acquirer) will be financially liable for any resulting card-present counterfeit fraud
losses. When a transaction occurs using chip technology, any liability for counterfeit fraud, though unlikely,
would follow current Visa Operating Regulations.

The policy assigns liability for counterfeit fraud to the party that has not made the investment in EMV chip cards
(issuers) or terminals (merchants’ acquirers). The policy encourages wider deployment of EMV cards and
terminals.

EMV chip implementation is accelerating globally. Today, excluding the U.S., 44 percent of all cards are EMV
chip cards, and 74 percent of all terminals are EMV chip-capable, with 62 percent of cross-border transactions
conducted with a chip card at a chip terminal.

U.S. Participation Introduced in Global Counterfeit Liability Shift Policy

Visa plans that effective 1 October 2015, the U.S. will be included in the Global POS Liability Shift Policy, which
will apply to all issuers and merchants’ acquirers in the U.S., with the exception of transactions at Automated
Fuel Dispensers (AFDs). Transactions made at AFDs will be excluded from the liability shift for a period of two
(2) years due to the challenges faced by the petroleum industry in upgrading terminals to accept EMV chip
cards. Similarly, effective 1 October 2017, transactions made at AFD terminals will be included in the Global
POS Liability Shift Policy.

Note: This liability shift policy change excludes counterfeit fraud at U.S. ATMs. Visa will continue to evaluate
the potential for an expansion to include ATMs.

Preparing for Payment Technology Evolution

As the U.S. point-of-sale payment infrastructure continues to evolve from the static magnetic stripe to intelligent
devices such as EMV chip cards and Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile phones, this liability shift policy
change will help ensure that the acceptance infrastructure is ready. It will also allow acquirers, merchants and
issuers to invest in new technology to ensure that cardholders can continue to make secure and frictionless
transactions across all channels.

Visa dynamic authentication roadmap will reduce fraud and enhance international acceptance

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ –

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today announced plans to accelerate the migration to EMV contact and contactless chip technology in the United States. The adoption of dual-interface chip technology will help prepare the U.S. payment infrastructure for the arrival of NFC-based mobile payments by building the necessary infrastructure to accept and process chip transactions that support either a signature or PIN at the point of sale.

“By encouraging investments in EMV contact and contactless chip technology, we will speed up the adoption of mobile payments as well as improve international interoperability and security,” said Jim McCarthy, global head of product, Visa Inc. “As NFC mobile payments and other chip-based emerging technologies are poised to take off in the coming years, we are taking steps today to create a commercial framework that will support growth opportunities and create value for all participants in the payment chain.”

Not only will chip technology accelerate mobile innovations, it is also expected to secure payments into the future through the use of dynamic authentication. Chip technology greatly reduces a criminal’s ability to use stolen payment card data by introducing dynamic values for each transaction. Even if payment card data is compromised, a counterfeit card would be unusable at the point of sale without the presence of the card’s unique elements. By reducing static authentication, we diminish the value of stolen cardholder data, benefiting all stakeholders.

“Dynamic authentication is the key to securing payments into the future,” said Ellen Richey, chief enterprise risk officer, Visa Inc. “Adding dynamic elements to transactions makes account data less attractive to steal and takes more merchant systems out of harm’s way, shrinking the battlefield against criminals. The migration to chip technology will be an important security layer and a critical step in a comprehensive strategy to use dynamic authentication across all markets and all channels.”

Globally, Visa will continue to support a range of cardholder verification methods including signature, PIN and no-signature for low-value, low-risk transactions. In the longer term, we expect that the use of static verification methods such as signature and PIN will be reduced or eliminated entirely as new and dynamic forms of cardholder verification are implemented.

Visa’s plan to encourage the U.S. adoption of dynamic chip authentication technology includes the following three initiatives:

• Expand the Technology Innovation Program to Merchants in the U.S.–Effective October 1, 2012, Visa will expand its Technology Innovation Program (TIP) to the U.S. TIP will eliminate the requirement for eligible merchants to annually validate their compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard for any year in which at least 75 percent of the merchant’s Visa transactions originate from chip-enabled terminals. To qualify, terminals must be enabled to support both contact and contactless chip acceptance, including mobile contactless payments based on NFC technology. Contact chip-only or contactless-only terminals will not qualify for the U.S. program. Qualifying merchants must continue to protect sensitive data in their care by ensuring their systems do not store track data, security codes or PINs, and that they continue to adhere to the PCI DSS standards as applicable.
• Build Processing Infrastructure for Chip Acceptance — Visa will require U.S. acquirer processors and sub-processor service providers to be able to support merchant acceptance of chip transactions no later than April 1, 2013. Chip acceptance will require service providers to be able to carry and process additional data that is included in chip transactions, including the cryptographic message that makes each transaction unique. Visa will provide additional guidance as part of its bi-annual Business Enhancements Release for acquirer processors to certify that their systems can support EMV contact and contactless chip transactions.
• Establish a Counterfeit Fraud Liability Shift — Visa intends to institute a U.S. liability shift for domestic and cross-border counterfeit card-present point-of-sale (POS) transactions, effective October 1, 2015. Fuel-selling merchants will have an additional two years, until October 1, 2017 before a liability shift takes effect for transactions generated from automated fuel dispensers. Currently, POS counterfeit fraud is largely absorbed by card issuers. With the liability shift, if a contact chip card is presented to a merchant that has not adopted, at minimum, contact chip terminals, liability for counterfeit fraud may shift to the merchant’s acquirer. The liability shift encourages chip adoption since any chip-on-chip transaction (chip card read by a chip terminal) provides the dynamic authentication data that helps to better protect all parties. The U.S. is the only country in the world that has not committed to either a domestic or cross-border liability shift associated with chip payments.

Today’s announcement builds on similar international programs to encourage the migration to EMV chip. In February 2011, Visa announced the Technology Innovation Program for international merchants. The program, which was available beginning March 31, 2011, was intended to recognize the security benefits of dynamic authentication, enabled by EMV chip, and offer tangible benefits to merchants who update their POS infrastructure to accept chip cards. Visa has now expanded this program to include U.S. merchants, but will require terminals to support both contact and contactless chip payments.

Moving forward, as the point-of-sale payment infrastructure evolves from the static magnetic stripe to intelligent devices such as EMV chip cards and NFC mobile phones, it is critical to ensure that cardholders can continue to conduct convenient, secure and reliable payments for card-not-present transactions as well. Visa is designing its new digital wallet with “click-to-buy” functionality able to support dynamic authentication across multiple channels including the eCommerce environment. Visa will also continue to enhance intelligent network-based fraud detection tools such as Visa Advanced Authorization and cardholder transaction alerts to complement dynamic and risk-based authentication methods. As always, effective fraud prevention requires multiple layers of security.

Industry Support

Today’s announcement supports an increasing interest in chip technologies from across the industry:

• “As the leading global foodservice retailer, McDonald’s already has a great deal of experience with chip technology, including in the U.S. where we have deployed contactless chip terminals to help us serve our customers even faster,” said Dave Weick, Chief Information Officer and SVP Shared Services, McDonald’s Corporation. “We’re pleased that Visa has provided a roadmap that will allow us to move towards the next generation of payment technology, while at the same time take advantage of the security benefits of EMV chip and dynamic authentication.”
• “Visa’s plan to encourage chip adoption and lay the groundwork for mobile payments is a positive development,” said Kevin Knight, executive vice president, Nordstrom, Inc. “We appreciate their efforts to promote improved technology so that our customers have more reliable and secure card use and payment for their purchases.”
• “There is no security silver bullet. But smartcards and smartphones using EMV adds a strong layer for payment transaction security as well as online banking, access to medical records and more,” said George Peabody, director, Emerging Technologies Advisory Service, Mercator Advisory Group, Inc. “The roll-out of EMV in the U.S. gets much needed dynamic data into the authentication mix. This is a welcome step toward lowering fraud at the point of sale and online. It’s time.”

To read more, visit the Visa Viewpoints Blog at http://blog.visa.com/.

Click to Tweet: Visa plan to accelerate U.S. EMV chip migration, supporting mobile payment infrastructure, int’l acceptance and security bit.ly/qsFzDA.

About Visa Inc.: Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

SOURCE Visa Inc.

New Mobile app facilitates payments anywhere, any time, and includes integrated reporting.

Fort Lauderdale, FL — 3D Merchant Services announces the launch of a new Mobile Payments app using PCI Certified CenPOS technology. Targeting mid-size businesses seeking solutions to expand payment acceptance for outside sales and at events, the technology is an expanded use of the payment processing solution for credit, debit, EBT, EBPP, loyalty card and ACH in retail and online applications.

Available immediately for the iPhone, iTouch, iPad, and Droid, this next phase of CenPOS’ growing suite of payment processing capabilities uses proven strong data encryption technologies to protect card data during processing. To mitigate risk, the full power of CenPOS user and processing thresholds management is available.

“Most players entering the mobile payments market are using a standalone solution,” said Christine Speedy, CEO of 3D Merchant Services. “This payment processing technology uses the same platform technology merchants may already be using in other operations, including brick and mortar storefronts, online payments , and EBPP.  It’s truly integrated with all other merchant operations, enabling robust reporting and simpler reconciliation for the mid-size business.”

Users download an app, and can key enter or use compatible card swipe readers for transactions. As with all merchant operations using the platform, user access to the application, user functional permissions, and user fraud tools can be managed remotely. For example, a user may be given permission to process sales, but not refunds. When an employee is terminated, access can be terminated immediately.

“With CenPOS Mobile, we’re bringing state-of-the-art payment technology to merchants who want to integrate mobile payments with their existing credit card processing vendors,” continued Christine Speedy. “This is the only solution on the market that also enables merchants to benefit from least cost routing and interchange optimization. With our  intelligent hosted payment processing platform, we remove salepersons and cashiers from taking actions that can negatively effect the cost of credit card processing.”

The mobile application is free to all CenPOS users and standard use rates apply. Usage pricing is based upon a formula relative to business dollar volume and or transaction volume.

ABOUT 3D MERCHANT SERVICES: Payment processing technology and service solutions for the mid-market. We specialize in automotive, card not present, and not-profit industries.

Google, Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint team up to make your phone your wallet

Google Wallet will enable consumers to tap, pay and save with their phones

May 26, 2011, New York, NY

At an event today, Google, Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint announced and demonstrated Google Wallet, an app that will make your phone your wallet so you can tap, pay and save money and time while you shop. For businesses, Google Wallet is an opportunity to strengthen customer relationships by offering a faster, easier shopping experience with relevant deals, promotions and loyalty rewards.

“Today, we’ve joined with leaders in the industry to build the next generation of mobile commerce,” said Stephanie Tilenius, vice president, commerce and payments, Google. “With Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint we’re building an open commerce ecosystem that for the first time will make it possible for you to pay with an NFC wallet and redeem consumer promotions all in one tap, while shopping offline.”

Google Wallet is currently in a field test and will be available to consumers this summer. At the event, Google, Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint introduced Google Wallet and invited additional issuing banks, payment networks, mobile carriers, handset manufacturers, point of sale systems companies and merchants to join the initiative.

Next Step in Mobile Payments

At commercial launch, Google Wallet will support payments with two payment solutions: a PayPass eligible Citi MasterCard and a virtual Google Prepaid card. Most people who already have a PayPass eligible Citi MasterCard can simply add it to Google Wallet over the air, using First Data’s trusted service manager service. Or, they can fund the Google Prepaid card with any payment card.

Google Wallet uses near field communication (NFC) to make secure payments fast and convenient by simply tapping the phone on any PayPass-enabled terminal at checkout.

Google Wallet is engineered to enable secure payments and goes beyond what’s possible with traditional wallets and cards. It will require an app-specific PIN and in the first release, all payment card credentials will be encrypted and stored on a chip, called the secure element, that is separate from the Android device memory and is only accessible by authorized programs.

“Citi’s role as the lead bank in Google Wallet is the latest demonstration of how we are committed to becoming the world’s digital bank, providing to customers the tools they need to manage their everyday finances with convenience and value,” said Paul Galant, CEO, Citi Global Enterprise Payments. “Today’s announcement and our active collaboration with Google will be looked at as the inflection point for how mobile payments are evolving from concept to mass utilization.”

Accepted in Stores Nationwide

Google Wallet is built to work with the fast growing MasterCard PayPass network—a merchant point of sale service that enables consumers to tap to pay. As a result, Google Wallet will immediately be accepted at more than 124,000 PayPass-enabled merchants nationally and more than 311,000 globally.

“MasterCard has pioneered mobile payments with our PayPass technology and we’re proud that it is at the heart of Google Wallet,” said Ed McLaughlin, chief emerging payments officer, MasterCard. “We’re excited to partner with these industry leaders today and committed to continuing to play a leadership role in the development of mobile payment technologies.”

Google is also working with point of sale systems companies and top retail brands to create a new SingleTap shopping experience. Consumers will be able to pay for an item using a credit card or gift card, redeem promotions and earn loyalty points—all with a single tap of their Google Wallet. Google is working with VeriFone, Hypercom, Ingenico, VIVOTech and others to develop these next generation point of sale systems. Retailers participating in the new SingleTap experience include: American Eagle Outfitters, Bloomingdale’s, Champs Sports, The Container Store, Duane Reade, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Foot Locker, Guess, Jamba Juice, Macy’s, Noah’s Bagels, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, RadioShack, Subway, Toys“R”Us and Walgreens.

“Google Wallet allows us to harness the power of mobile technology to enhance our in-store shopping experience and helps bridge the gap between our online and in-store consumer interactions,” said Martine Reardon, executive vice-president of marketing and advertising, Macy’s. “Macy’s is always looking for cutting-edge technology that will deliver value and engage our customers in personal ways. Google Wallet delivers this unique interaction across channels.”

The first Google Wallet field tests are focused in New York and San Francisco, where many retailers, Coca-Cola vending machines and even taxis are PayPass-enabled, including major outlets such as CVS, Jack in the Box, Sports Authority and Sunoco. First Data, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing, is actively recruiting thousands of new merchants in these areas and will soon expand those efforts to deploy more contactless merchant terminals across the country.

“The payments industry has known for some time that it was not a question of if, but when true mobile commerce would become a reality. We believe today is the day that mobile meets payments,” said Ed Labry, president, North America, First Data. “We’re proud to play a central role in Google Wallet and to bring innovative technology such as Trusted Service Management and contactless acceptance to our clients.”

Saving Made Simple

Google has also been testing a variety of consumer deals that can range from a 20-percent discount on a new pair of boots discovered on a Google search advertisement; to a $5 off check-in offer received upon entering a store; to a “deal of the day” offering a $20 lunch for $10 at a local restaurant. Whenever you buy or save an offer, you will be able to automatically sync it to Google Wallet.

At most stores you will be able to use Google Wallet to show your offer at the register, where the cashier will either scan it or manually type it in. At participating Google SingleTap merchants, you will be able to pay and redeem an offer with one tap of your mobile device.

Because Google Wallet is a mobile app, it will eventually be able to do more than a regular wallet ever could—but without the bulk. Google Wallet will start with offers, loyalty and gift cards but some day items like receipts, boarding passes and tickets will all be seamlessly synced to your Google Wallet.

Open Commerce Ecosystem = Consumer Choice and Innovation

Google Wallet will work best if it’s an open commerce ecosystem so you will be able to carry all the credit cards, offers, loyalty and gift cards you choose—and eventually much more. To this end, Google Wallet will make it possible to integrate numerous types of partners, and Google, Citi, MasterCard, First Data and Sprint invite the banking community, mobile carriers, handset manufacturers, merchants and others to work with Google Wallet.

“We are delighted to be the first carrier to sign on as a partner with Google to deliver Google Wallet,” said Fared Adib, senior vice president of product development, Sprint. “As a leading innovator and proponent of “open,” we are proud that Nexus S 4G is the first smartphone with Google Wallet and we look forward to deploying Google Wallet on many of our upcoming Android phones.”

The first release of Google Wallet is expected to be released on the Nexus S 4G on the Sprint network. Additional devices with NFC capabilities will follow. Sign up to be notified about the release at google.com/wallet.

About Google Inc.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is a global technology leader focused on improving the ways people connect with information. Google’s innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit www.google.com/about.html.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

About MasterCard

As a leading global payments company, MasterCard (NYSE: MA) serves as a franchisor, processor and advisor to the payments industry, and makes commerce happen by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, governments, businesses, merchants and cardholders worldwide in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information, please visit us at www.mastercard.com. Follow us on Twitter: @mastercardnews.

About First Data

Around the world, every second of every day, First Data makes payment transactions secure, fast and easy for merchants, financial institutions and their customers. First Data leverages its vast product portfolio and expertise to drive customer revenue and profitability. Whether the choice of payment is by debit or credit card, gift card, check or mobile phone, online or at the checkout counter, First Data takes every opportunity to go beyond the transaction.

About Sprint

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 51 million customers at the end of 1Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.