28 November 2007
Londoners might soon be able to use their mobile phones to pay for their Tube fares, it has been reported.
Finnish manufacturers Nokia and network O2 are currently developing a new handset which will contain a built-in Oyster card - the electronic pay-as-you-go pass which can be used in all buses and London Underground stations to pay for transport.
The Guardian reports that the new system will function in exactly the same way as the current plastic Oyster cards, with customers swiping their mobile phone across an automated ticket-checker.
Oyster technology was boosted earlier this year with the launch of Visa's PayWave card, which incorporated the service into a credit card.
The Nokia handset would work by incorporating radio frequency identification technology, which would activate a microchip and automatically deduct the cost of the journey from a pre-paid account when it is passed over a reader.
According to the Guardian, the success of such a scheme could lead to a nationwide roll-out of mobile phone payments for transportation in the future.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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