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2degrees launches mission to replace wallet

Thursday 3 May 2012, 5:25PM

By Spark Activate

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The first Snapper bus to be accessed with 2degrees Touch2Pay smartphones.
The first Snapper bus to be accessed with 2degrees Touch2Pay smartphones. Credit: 2degrees
2degrees CEO Eric Hertz pays for his bus ride with his Touch2Pay smartphone.
2degrees CEO Eric Hertz pays for his bus ride with his Touch2Pay smartphone. Credit: 2degrees
Wellington Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, buys a coffee using her 2degrees Touch2Pay Smartphone.
Wellington Mayor, Celia Wade-Brown, buys a coffee using her 2degrees Touch2Pay Smartphone. Credit: 2degrees
Minister for Communications and Information Technology, the Hon Amy Adams, uses her 2degrees Touch2Pay Smartphone to pay her bus fare.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology, the Hon Amy Adams, uses her 2degrees Touch2Pay Smartphone to pay her bus fare. Credit: 2degrees

WELLINGTON CITY

In a New Zealand first, Wellington commuters can now “touch” their mobile phone to pay for their bus and taxi fare, thanks to 2degrees’ new Touch2Pay offer.  Using selected 2degrees handsets, this simpler, faster way to pay means no PIN, signature or cash are needed.

The service is now operational in Wellington, where over 200,000 Snapper cards have already been issued.

Beyond taxis and buses, consumers will be able to use their mobile phones to pay for goods at retailers, including dairies, Subway Restaurants, FIX Urban Grocer and cafes, through an exclusive partnership with contactless payment provider, Snapper.  Using their Snapper balance, customers can top up their handsets with up to $300 spending money.

2degrees CEO, Eric Hertz, says Touch2Pay will make payment faster and easier for people on the go.

“We have been working with Snapper to launch this technology, which marks another step in the way mobile can make life better every day.  The launch of Touch2Pay is the kind of innovation we believe Kiwis will really value, effectively enabling your mobile phone to swallow your wallet” says Mr Hertz.

Snapper CEO, Miki Szikszai, adds that paying for transport and everyday items has just got a whole lot easier.

“Snapper is a way of life in Wellington.  We are really pleased to be working with 2degrees to make this product even better,” he says.

Wellingtonians who sign up to 2degrees Touch2Pay phones by 31 July will also receive ‘Free Weekends’ with free bus travel in the Wellington area and 1GB of data to use in weekends for the rest of 2012.

The LG Optimus Net ($299) is the first 2degrees Touch2Pay capable handset.  Other handsets across a range of price points will be released throughout this year.

Touch2Pay is the first fully commercial deployment of Near Field Communications (NFC) technology in New Zealand.  This highlights 2degrees commitment to mobile payments and builds on last month’s announcement by 2degrees and its partners to form an industry wide Trusted Service Manager (TSM) to accelerate the establishment of a robust and lasting NFC ecosystem in New Zealand.