KPN Trialling Contactless Payment System in Handsets
For the very first time in The Netherlands, a trial will be run during the coming football season 2005-2006 whereby mobile phones will take over the functions of Roda JC supporters' Club Cards. 50 supporters will use their phones to gain access to the Parkstad Limburg Stadium as well as to make purchases at food stands and in the supporters shop. This is all the result of a Near Field Communication (NFC) trial with new technology for wireless communication.
Making this possible are Roda JC, KPN, Philips, Bell ID, SmartPoint and KNVB ClubSupport. The ultimate goal of the project is to investigate the extent to which the NFC technology could be advantageous when used for "mobile ticketing" compared with current forms of ticketing, such as the distribution and management of physical tickets and cards. The result: the supporter will find them easier to use.
Developed by Philips and Sony, the NFC technology is to send information back and forth over short distances without physical contact being required between the cardholder (or phone holder) and the terminal. The fan doesn't even have to swipe a card through a reader. At the turnstiles in the Parkstad Limburg Stadium the participants simply have to hold their phones up to the readers. The data on the NFC chip is then quickly processed and the supporter is allowed through.
The special mobile phones (Nokia 3220s are being used for the purposes of this trial) are all equipped with an NFC chip which will take over all functions of the (season) Club Card. As well as access, it will also be possible to make purchases inside the stadium using the phones. Due to the fact that Roda JC uses a closed payment system, contactless payment is the only way in which payment can be made at the food stands and shops in the stadium. The supporters participating in the trial will be able to load credit onto the NFC chip by holding their phones up to the credit-loading machine. At the food stands and shops, refreshments can also be paid for using the contactless technology. Participants can easily look up their balance on the phone screen.
In later stages of the trial it will also be possible to purchase match tickets using the phone, at any time and any place, wherever the fan has access to their phone network. Moreover, supporters will be able to load credit to their phones from their mobile networks, as a result of which even the credit-loading machine will become a redundant factor.
Sony developed the hugely popular contactless system used in Japan under the FeliCa brand name."
Posted to the site on 16th August 2005