International payments company MasterCard has teamed up with Johannesburg-based Standard Bank to launch the OneSmart MasterCard PayPass Contactless credit card in South Africa. The development represents the first introduction of the new payment technology on the African continent.
<p>The pilot for the state-of-the-art contactless payment technology, launched at Standard Bank's headquarters, allows the lender's employees to make purchases by simply tapping their PayPass card on specially equipped terminals at retail outlets at Standard Bank's campus shopping complex to make a transaction. The cards will also work with any other PayPass enabled terminal in the world.<br /><br />The initiation of the OneSmart MasterCard PayPass pilot in South Africa reinforces the leadership position taken by MasterCard in smart cards and contactless technology, said Eddie Grobler, senior vice president and general manager for Africa at MasterCard International.<br /><br />Globally over seven million MasterCard PayPass cards/devices have already been issued.</p>