La Caixa, first in Europe to commercially roll out a mobile real payment system

thumbnailLONDON | La Caixa’s NFC mobile payments system, the first in Europe to have a large-scale roll out with real users, gained the entity the Banking Technology prize in London, which recognises the best international mobile banking initiative. La Caixa currently has the most extensive mobile payment infrastructure in Europe, covering the entirety of the Balearic Islands and parts of Catalonia.

The bank has pioneered the commercial use of mobile payments with real users. The town of Sitges, near Barcelona, was the first European city to be equipped with a large-scale contactless payment system.

In 2011, la Caixa has installed contactless payment systems, using mobile NFC and contactless cards, across the entire Balearic Islands. Over the next few months the system will also be rolled out to other locations in Spain.

The Catalonia-based institution, with over 2.2 million users, is also driving forward the use of contactless technology in ATMs, allowing users to operate machines by simply passing their mobile device close to a sensor. This makes it the world’s first bank to provide ATMs that allow cash withdrawals or balance enquiries using a mobile phone.

* The original press release, here.

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The Corner
The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.

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