Winning app is the world’s first for topping up of physical stored value cards on mobile phones using NFC technology
Mr. Martin Gruber, Chair of the NFC Forum’s Special Interest Group (SIG) for Public Transport, presenting the Most Innovative NFC Project award to Mr. Nicholas Lee, Chief Executive Officer of EZ-Link Pte Ltd.
SINGAPORE, 16 June 2014 – EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest issuer of CEPAS-compliant cards, clinched the Most Innovative NFC Project award at the third Smart Awards Asia 2014 with its “My EZ-Link Mobile” app, a collaborative project with Wirecard AG, a global leading specialist in payment processing and issuing.
The win is a second consecutive for EZ-Link at the prestigious Smart Awards, as the company also took home the Best Prepaid Card award for the EZ-Link Imagine American Express® Prepaid Card at the second Annual Smart Card Awards Asia in 2013.
Launched in December 2013, “My EZ-Link Mobile” is the world’s pioneering mobile application for the topping up of ez-link cards on Android smartphones, using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology. The app turns compatible NFC Android handsets into portable personal top-up devices, making possible on-the-go cashless reloading of ez-link cards.
Besides the top-up functionality, “My EZ-Link Mobile” also allows users to view card transaction history and balance value, manage multiple ez-link cards and personalise the app.
Today, more than 60,000 users have already downloaded the “My EZ-Link Mobile” app.
“EZ-Link is very proud to be chosen as the winner of the Most Innovative NFC Project award from amongst such a strong group of finalists. The introduction of ‘My EZ-Link Mobile’ was a major accomplishment for us. It has placed us in the leading position in the market and provided immense value for our cardholders, delivering to them new levels of convenience when using our cards in public commute,” said Mr. Nicholas Lee, Chief Executive Officer, EZ-Link Pte Ltd. “Kudos to the EZ-Link project team and our partner Wirecard AG – we could not have achieved such a secure, fast and easy-to-use app without their expertise and dedication.”
“We are delighted to have our joint mobile NFC application selected as an award-winner. With our solutions and in collaboration with our valued partner EZ-Link, we are driving forward the distribution of mobile payment services,” says Jan Marsalek, Wirecard-COO. “We are grateful for the honour and will continue to create innovative mobile payment solutions based on new technologies.”
The “My EZ-Link Mobile” app won the approval of the judging panel as it innovatively enables users to perform commonly used functions on their ez-link cards through their personal mobile smartphones. This sets the app strategically apart from the dozens of contactless mobile payment apps being launched in the market now that focus on turning mobile phones into digital wallets.
“By leveraging on NFC technology to bring top-up and other functions to ez-link card holders instead of just creating another contactless mobile payment app, EZ-Link is helping consumers gain more confidence and familiarity with NFC technology, a key bridging step in making them embrace contactless mobile payment,” added Mr. Lee.
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