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Nick Summers
Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and Nick Summers is a technology journalist for The Next Web. He writes on all sorts of topics, although he has a passion for gadgets, apps and video games in particular. You can reach him on Twitter, circle him on Google+ and connect with him on LinkedIn.
NFC payment venture Isis has partnered with USA Technologies (USAT) to offer mobile payment options for 7,500 vending machines across Austin and Salt Lake City.
The vending machines will accept credit using USAT’s ePort Connect service, which already supports NFC-enabled devices, as well as payments from PayPal and Google Wallet.
Customers, meanwhile, will be able to make payments using the Isis Mobile Wallet service, which is an app backed by a number of American carriers including AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless. Sprint, however, is not part of the joint venture at the moment.
USAT say that once the vending machines are up and running,the shopping experience in both cities should be much quicker and simpler. Stephen P. Herbert, Chairman and CEO of USAT: “Through the Isis Mobile Wallet, we believe these merchants will have unparalleled new opportunity to attract consumers as well as participate in marketing programs with global brand names.”
The Isis Mobile Wallet service gives users the chance not only to submit payments with their smartphone, but also access exclusive offers, receive discounts and keep on track of any loyalty or membership schemes they might be part of.
However, at the moment the service can only be used in Salt Lake City and Austin. Oh, and at the moment the app is only available for Android users via the Google Play store.
Isis only launched in October (albeit after a few delays) but it has a long way to go before it can gain a significant foothold in the American market and rival the likes of Google Wallet or Paypal.
Earlier this year however, American Express announced that its US Consumer, Open (small business) and Serve Cards would be supported by Isis Mobile Wallet. It means that anyone owning either one of these cards can connect it to the Isis Mobile Wallet app in order to start making wireless payments in the two cities.
Capital One and Chase credit cards can also be linked to the app. It’s a start, at the very least.
Image Credit: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images
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