14 DAY TRIAL // Visa and Samsung have just announced that the Galaxy S III will be the official Olympic Games phone during the London 2012 Games.
Samsung Galaxy S III comes equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) payment capability and will be used in NFC trials at the Olympics.
It appears that a limited edition showcase device that packs Visa's mobile payment application, Visa payWave, will be available for Samsung and Visa sponsored athletes and trialists.
With Visa payWave users will be able to buy merchandise by simply waving their Galaxy S III devices at dedicated retail locations throughout London.
“Mobile payment services enabled by NFC technology are gaining momentum around the world. The Samsung GALAXY S III has been created with our human needs and capabilities in mind and is the ideal device to showcase the ease and convenience of Visa's mobile payment application at the London 2012 Olympic Games,” said DJ Lee, executive vice president and head of sales and marketing team of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.
According to Visa, the company plans to make available more than 140,000 contactless terminals around the UK, by the time Olympic Games kicks off.
It is also worth mentioning that Visa payWave for mobile provides users with the possibility to select the Visa icon on their mobile device and hold the phone to a contactless payment terminal to pay.
Keep in mind that purchases above £20 require a passcode. Last but not least, the mobile application enables customers to check their transaction history and view their account balance.
“This summer we will be demonstrating the future of payments in London - a future where most consumers will rely on mobile devices, tablets and PCs to manage their daily financial lives. Our relationship with Samsung gets us closer to that vision, with a stunning new device that is sure to turn heads at the London 2012 Games,” said Bill Gajda, global head of Mobile Products at Visa Inc.