The technology for mobile phones to make contactless payments with a simple tap is now here, and predicted to account for £151 billion by 2013. This provides great user benefits but could mean mobile phones are more of a target for crime.
Minima and Proxama Ltd were one of the three winning teams in the Mobile Phone Security Challenge, an initiative from the Home Office Design and Technology Alliance and the Design Council, with support and funding from the Technology Strategy Board. The focus of the project was to create a way of making mobile phone payments (m-commerce) more secure as well as detailing the service offer and user experience of the solution.
Working closely with consumer payment software specialists Proxama, Minima made use of the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology used in mobile payments to help in securing access to Proxama’s phone-based electronic wallet. The result is TouchSafe, a mini-card carried or worn by the user, who discreetly taps their phone to the hidden card to authorise access and open the mobile wallet in a swift, seamless gesture.
The simple solution is derived from extensive innovation on a number of concepts. Minima also organised a series of user trials to establish the most successful format. Along with the service, Minima provided a range of holders, card patches and key fobs to show how easily the card can be incorporated into user’s lifestyles.
Home Office minister Alan Campbell said: ‘I believe the solutions developed by this challenge have the potential to be as successful as previous innovations like chip and pin, which reduced fraud on lost or stolen cards to an all-time low, and would encourage industry to continue working with us and take them up.’
A demonstration of the Touchsafe service has been shown at the 2010 World Mobile Congress in Barcelona.
