Telenor reports successful results of Oslo NFC pilot
09 July, 2012
category: NFC
A survey of the 250 Oslo residents who participated in Telenor and DNB’s NFC payments pilot last summer yielded overwhelming positive results, according to Telonor.
Launched in May 2011, the four month “Tap2Pay” pilot involved a select number of Oslo consumers using NFC-enabled Samsung phones to make MasterCard PayPass contactless payments at several retail stores throughout the city.
The results of the pilot are as follows:
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84% said Tapy2Pay was easy to use, and enjoyed not having to enter a PIN code.
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97% said that they want to use this type of service when it’s launched.
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Approximately half of all users experienced some technical issues during the trial, typically regarding software installation or lack of contact between the phone and the terminal. 86 percent of the people who sought technical support reported that they received adequate assistance.
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The average test group user made a total of six purchases during the four month trial, resulting in a total average spending of 400 Norwegian kroner ($65) per person. Most of the transactions occurred at the convenience store Deli de Luca for beverages and other small items.
According to Telenor, merchants were largely positive about Tap2Pay as well. Most felt that the speed and simplicity of the service was convenient, as it gave them more time to pay attention to the customer instead of the transaction.
Security was once again the main point of concern for trial participants. According to Telenor, testers were concerned that if their phone was stolen, there would be no barriers to fraudulent use of the phone for payment, as there is no PIN code. However, most believed the addition of a pin code to be the answer to this concern.
Telenor is now aiming for a full rollout of NFC services in Oslo and surrounding areas in 2013, and foresees NFC as a viable option in many of its markets in the years to come. However, Erngard urged that Telenor and DNB, Norway’s largest bank, can’t do it alone.