RBS unveils iPhone case for NFC payments

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group has teamed up with Visa Europe to bring mobile payments to customers through its TouchPay scheme.

The banking group – which includes RBS and NatWest – has introduced TouchPay cases for Apple iPhone 4 and 4S models which give the smartphones near-field communications (NFC) capabilities.

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The TouchPay case allows RBS Group customers to purchase items up to the value of £20 simply by touching their smartphone on specific pay points in retail outlets.

“A key industry challenge in bringing mobile contactless payments to consumers is finding ways to enable existing smartphones that do not offer NFC technology,” said Sandra Alzetta, senior vice-president and head of mobile at Visa Europe.

“Services such as TouchPay show how NFC-enabled accessories for smartphones can deliver the future of payments today and help speed up mainstream adoption,” she added.

The iCarte cases, designed by Wireless Dynamics, work alongside an app that needs to be downloaded onto the smartphone to link the case and device.

The first 1,000 customers who registered interest in the scheme received a free case.

If the trial is a success, the RBS Group plans to roll it out to every customer with an iPhone. With 9,000 people already registered, both the bank and Visa Europe expect the scheme to be popular.