Visa to Launch Tokenization in Europe in Mid-April for Mobile Payments

Visa announced on Tuesday that it will be rolling out tokenization in Europe, an essential technology that allows for secure and convenient contactless payments using various technologies (via The Next Web). The tokenization service will be available to financial institutions in mid-April and helps pave the way for the launch of Apple Pay in Europe.

“This is an exciting time to be in the payment industry. We believe that 2015 will be the year that mobile payments will be in the hands of consumers across Europe," said Sandra Alzetta, Executive Director, Core Products for Visa Europe. "Tokenisation is one of the most important technologies to emerge in digital payments and has the potential to start a whole new chapter in the kinds of products that are developed."

Visa, MasterCard and American Express were among the credit card companies that launched tokenization in the United States ahead of the launch of Apple Pay last October. The technology replaces your credit card information with a randomized series of numbers during payment authorization to secure your account details when you tap your smartphone on a contactless payment terminal.

Apple Pay remains limited to the United States, although an international expansion could start with Canada as early as March. The NFC-based mobile payments service requires an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, and will also be compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 when paired with an Apple Watch.

Tags: Visa, Apple Pay

Top Rated Comments

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chfilm

52 months ago

Bring it on Apple! Want Apple Pay in Germany! :)

Rating: 6 Votes

avanpelt

52 months ago

My guess is that Apple will announce Apple Pay coming to Europe and Canada as part of the Apple Watch event that is expected to happen within the next several weeks.

Rating: 4 Votes

lazyrighteye

52 months ago

:apple:Pay is why I would have money invested in Apple, if I could afford the risks of investing.

It's why I got in when I did - albeit super late. But still, better at $94 than continuing to kick myself for not investing.

No wait - Apple is doomed. ;)

Rating: 3 Votes

Sandstorm

52 months ago

Exellent news! Bring it on (and don't leave out the smaller EU countries)! :)

Rating: 3 Votes

Menel

52 months ago

Interesting news. I had no idea Tokenisation had yet to be rolled out in Europe.

Judging by the comments here over the last few months you'd think Apple were solely responsible for "holding back" Apple pay - like that was of benefit to them...

Good to here the pieces are falling into place, looking forward to an official launch later this year.

This was known, and discussed.

The same reason not even all USA Banks are supported. The banks(card issuers) have to implement technology on their end to support the tokenization. This is critical to the security of the system.

Apple's role is merely to authenticate your card (PAN), into the DAN (device account number). They drop the PAN. At the time of transaction they send the DAN+time based crypto. Apple is done at this point.

DAN+time based crypto gets passed through payment processor to the issuing bank, and VISA/MC/AMEX + the issuing bank has to be able to handle it.

Rating: 3 Votes

Reason077

52 months ago

I hope Transport for London are are up to speed with supporting this.

Being able to use Apple Pay on the Tube, without fishing around in my pockets for a card (or phone), will be my #1 or #2 reason for buying an iWatch !

Rating: 2 Votes

ArtOfWarfare

52 months ago

:apple:Pay is why I would have money invested in Apple, if I could afford the risks of investing.

Rating: 1 Votes

Robert.Walter

52 months ago

I'm using Pay on a daily basis here in my corner of Europe (eastern Switzerland and bordering lands) and it's great! I can use it in any of the large grocery store chains, or even my semi-retired barber with a 2-chair shop. My mom in the U.S. is still waiting for Kroger and Vostco to get their schmitt together and start accepting Pay while in the meantime she is patronizing Meijer Thrifty Acres much more.)

My visa and Amex cards are US-based. Only NFC-equipped place I can't seem to use Visa Pay is in the Swiss McDonalds (although their NFC terminals have been in place since 2011). One other big exception to NFC is almost every gas station here is Not NFC equipped (would be nice to see this both in the shop and at the pump.)

I'll be glad once it is official here as I think it will serve as the catalyst for capex upgrades to the pos terminals in the filling stations as well as possibly the authentication for ATM machines. (Plus I'll be able to revert the Region Setting on my iPhone from USA to my local region.)

Rating: 1 Votes

Reason077

52 months ago

I hope so too but I suspect the tokenisation might screw up the bit where you tap out because the system can't match it to a card you tapped in with.

As I understand it, the Token (Apple calls it "Device Account Number") is generated when you set up your Apple Pay wallet. The same token would be used each time, so matching up touch-in with touch-out (and matching multiple journeys for the daily fare cap, etc) wouldn't be a problem.

I believe the token looks just like a standard 16-digit card number, too, for compatibility with existing systems.

The main potential issue is if your Watch battery goes dead - you wouldn't be able to use it interchangeably with the the actual card since, of course, the device account number wouldn't match with the real card number.

Rating: 1 Votes