MasterCard launches new program that can turn any consumer gadget, accessory or wearable into a payment device
Famed designer Adam Selman, Capital One, GM, Nymi, Qualcomm, Ringly and TrackR among first to join
PURCHASE, NY (October 27, 2015) — MasterCard will showcase prototypes with launch partners at Money 20/20
MasterCard today introduced a new program that will bring MasterCard payments to a wide array of consumer products across the automotive, fashion, technology, wearables, and yet to be imagined categories. The program gives consumers the freedom to shop using the device or thing that is most convenient to them, with the highest level of security available.
The program will launch with the support of several marquee partners across multiple verticals to fit every lifestyle need. Designer to the stars Adam Selman, automaker General Motors, wearable technology innovator Nymi, smart jewelry company Ringly, and Bluetooth locator TrackR are among the prominent consumer brands enabling their products through the program.
Exclusive designs from Adam Selman and prototypes from GM (key fob), Nymi (wristband) and Ringly (ring), will be on display at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas this week and are showcased in this video.
The Internet of Things (IoT) – the hyper-connected world where every device from the phone to the washing machine will be connected to the Internet – is transforming the way consumers interact and transact. According to Cisco, there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020. MasterCard is establishing the program as the foundation to enable payments for IoT.
The program is an extension of the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES) and the Digital Enablement Express (Express) program, and brings to fruition the vision that every device will be a commerce device. Through MDES and Express, any accessory, wearable or device can be payment-enabled and quickly scaled to millions of MasterCard accounts.
“As more and more ‘things’ become connected, consumers will have endless possibilities when it comes to how they pay, and will need all of their devices to work seamlessly together,” said Ed McLaughlin, Chief Emerging Payments Officer at MasterCard. “This program eliminates the boundaries of how we pay by delivering a secure digital payment experience to virtually anything – rings, fitness and smart bands, car key fobs, apparel, and whatever comes along next.”
MasterCard partners with designer Adam Selman to design the next generation of payment wearables. The payment-enabled dress and accessories are modeled by Kelly Rohrbach.
Technology and Issuer Partners
As part of the program, MasterCard worked with NXP and Qualcomm Incorporated to develop technology that makes it simple to enable secure payments on virtually any device or accessory.
Capital One is the first issuer to embrace the program and will leverage Express, enabling them to expand to a whole new category of devices. The Capital One Wallet will authenticate the users to provide strong security for provisioning and managing tokens. It also includes enhanced real time transaction notifications identifying the device used in each transaction. Capital One is one of many issuers with tens of millions of MasterCard credit and debit accounts already participating in MDES.
The launch of the program puts in place a standard for expanding secure contactless and embedded payment options globally. Products will begin rolling out in 2016 in the U.S., with plans to expand to other markets.
Partner Quote Sheet
Read why our launch partners – including Adam Selman, Capital One, General Motors, NXP, Nymi, Qualcomm, Ringly, and TrackR — support our program to enable any device to make payments.
Adam Selman, fashion designer:
“Technology is vital to the fashion industry, from textiles, printing techniques, and innovations in garments, it keeps fashion changing and evolving. Usually technology’s role in fashion is behind the scenes. What sets the MasterCard program apart is that it features the technology, while still remaining invisible, yet interactive and totally functional with the wearer. It’s exciting to be part of a project that is creating something new and fresh. At the end of the day, that’s what fashion is all about.”
Tom Poole, managing vice president, Digital Payments at Capital One:
“We are always looking for new ways to enhance the consumer payment experience, by offering tools and pioneering technologies focused on ecommerce and mobile accessibility. We are excited about the potential this new initiative and other new payment options hold as we work to offer more choices to help make our customers’ lives easier.”
Tom Grekowicz, senior manager, GM Rewards Card:
“Vehicles are becoming more connected and this will enable our customers to maximize their connections to all aspects of their lives, including new and easier ways to pay for goods and services. This partnership with MasterCard will help us learn more about our customers’ preferences and how we can best serve them.”
Jeff Miles, vice president of Payments at NXP:
“By integrating our loader service into MasterCard’s ecosystem, we’re providing OEMs with a simple method to quickly deploy secure payments in new mobile and wearable devices. Just as mobile payments have removed the traditional barriers in commerce for consumers, this partnership will remove barriers for OEMs, making it far easier to rapidly deploy new technologies with secure payment capabilities.”
Karl Martin, founder and CTO of NymiTM:
“MasterCard’s initiative is a natural fit with Nymi’s vision of seamless and secure user experiences. Commerce is no longer restricted to stores, whether they be brick and mortar or online. The Nymi Band offers a new interface for secure authentication that can be applied to a broad range of experiences, enabling commerce anytime, anywhere. The next generation of integrated experiences is about ease and delight, where security can simply be assumed.”
Dr. Conroy Cormac, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated:
“The digital payments space is in the midst of a dramatic transition in the industry. We are delighted to be working with MasterCard to accelerate this transition across mobile, automotive, and IoE platforms and bring end-to-end connectivity for issuers, retailers, and service providers. We are collaborating to bring MasterCard Tokens across a range of smart wearable devices based on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets and technologies.”
Christina Mercando d’Avignon, founder and CEO of Ringly:
“We created Ringly to keep women connected to the people, messages and notifications that are important to them. Through our partnership with MasterCard, Ringly will not only be able to keep people connected, but will provide another layer to how our customers can use their jewelry while on the go. Our mission is to make women’s lives more manageable through beautiful jewelry and discreet technology.”
Christian Smith, president and founder, TrackR:
“Our goal with TrackR is effortless organization. This is another example of how TrackR can simplify daily tasks, whether it’s finding your misplaced keys or paying for your coffee.”
About MasterCard
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all. www.mastercard.com
