The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Now, a credit card for mobile users

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Now, a credit card for mobile users

Special Correspondent

Reliance Communications, HDFC tie up

The credit card is virtual in nature
The mobile number is the card’s unique number

CHENNAI: Reliance Communications and HDFC Bank have come together to launch a credit card for mobile users — the Reliance mPay credit card.

Under this, the Reliance Mobile serves as the credit card while the mobile number makes for the unique number of the card.

The Reliance mPay credit card with HDFC Bank is virtual in nature in contrast to the conventional “plastic money”. It is available to Reliance Mobile users using HDFC Bank credit cards.

The user can use the mPay credit card with HDFC Bank at any merchant establishments that accept payment via Reliance mPay.

The Bank will authenticate all the information with RCom, which will be used to initiate and authorize all the payments using the customer’s mobile handset.

Reliance mPay services will offer Reliance Mobile post paid bill payment, pre-paid top-up, and payment of Reliance Energy monthly electricity bills.

Services to be extended

It will also be extended to allow the customer to book movie tickets, travel tickets, merchant payments at shops, restaurants or shop on the Internet.

M. Rahul Bhagat, Country Head - Retail Liabilities, Marketing and Direct Banking Channels, HDFC Bank, said the arrangement allows a HDFC bank customer to shop using a Reliance Mobile.

Mahesh Prasad, President, Applications, Solutions and Content Group, Reliance Communications, said the mobile credit card evolution was another step towards making money transfer and mobile commerce a reality across the country.

A press note said there was no financial risk to the customer in case of loss of mobile phone as the use of the Reliance mPay was PIN protected. As all the transactions were initiated using the mobile number, there was no risk of card skimming or security compromise on the Internet.

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