Citi launches NFC mobile wallet collaboration with 3 Hong Kong
The 3 Citi Wallet is available in Hong Kong via 3 Hong Kong
Citi and mobile operator 3 Hong Kong have co-launched an NFC mobile wallet in the form of a sticker for iPhone and mobile app for Android.
For iPhones, the 3 Citi Wallet is embedded in an NFC sticker, which the customer attaches to the phone so that they can transmit the payment to the merchant. A corresponding 3 Citi Wallet app is available from Google Play Store on Android, or the App Store on iPhone. Once installed, the mobile wallet allows users to make mobile payments, view their transaction history, and find nearby special offers. The wallet runs on both Android and Apple iOS phones, including Samsung Galaxy S3 and S4, Sony Xperia Z, ZR and Z1, HTC and LG Optimus G Pro and G2 as well as iPhones 4, 4s, 5, 5s and 5c.
Customers will need to pay a HK$18 monthly subscription fee for the mobile wallet service, and they will need to have a Citibank Visa credit card as well as a 3 Hong Kong mobile subscription. To complete a purchase, users sign into the mobile app with their password and place the phone over a Visa payWave reader at checkout. The spending limit is HK$1,000 per purchase. Users can assign up to three Citibank Visa credit cards to the mobile wallet.
Hong Kong’s retailers currently have an estimated 9,000 Visa payWave readers in place, which would allow users to use their mobile wallet for tasks such as shopping, dining travel and entertainment. These are spread across 3,400 merchants. There are also 230 special offers in place from merchants that have signed up. These include a HK$200 cash rebate on a single purchase of HK$2,000 or more at consumer electronics firm Fortress, up to HK$1,000 off select smartphones at 3 Hong Kong, a free gift for a single purchase of HK$100 or more at retail brands PARKnSHOP, Fusion, Taste, International, Gourmet or Supa-Depa, among others.
“Mobile payment is a world trend today, with global mobile payment transaction value expected to surpass US$235 billion in 2013, a 44% year-on-year increase, and mobile payment users reaching US$245.2 million in 2013, up from 200.8 million in 2012,” said Amy Lung, managing director of 3 Hong Kong. “In a market such as Hong Kong, where the mobile subscriber penetration rate exceeds 230%, we are confident that the NFC mobile payment service will further promote the trend of ‘tap and pay’ spending for today’s consumer.”
The 3 Citi Wallet can be used outside Hong Kong at merchants that have a Visa payWave reader, although it is not available in the US. Data roaming for the 3 Citi Wallet service is available in 113 destinations on 150 networks for $HK$38 per day. There is also a Super Safe service, which costs $HK28 per months and allows users to trace a lost handset, control its audio alarm deterrent feature and delete important information from the handset remotely. 3 Hong Kong is the mobile subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications.
A similar NFC-based mobile wallet was launched in Europe by Kalixa Group in July. The moneto prepaid wallet allows users to tap and pay for goods using their mobile. Users can check their balance, locate merchants and ATMs and make wallet to wallet transactions, supported by MasterCard’s PayPass technology. They can also withdraw cash at ATMs, make online purchases and shop at retail outlets that do not accept contactless payments.
