By Jill Jaracz

2013-09-10

5 Min. To Read

* Editorial Disclaimer

This post may contain references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. The content or opinions contained within this post come from third party journalists or members of the CreditCardReviews.com Editorial Team and are not supplied by any of our partners.

After conducting pilots in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah, Isis will launch its mobile wallet product nationally this year.

Isis is a joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US Inc. and Verizon Wireless. The mobile wallet uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in smartphones so consumers can use their phones to pay for goods, redeem coupons and use loyalty cards. In order to use the product, consumers' phones need to have NFC capabilities and a SIM-based secure element.

"Over the past nine months, we have proven the power of an open platform, creating an ecosystem of literally hundreds of partners dedicated to making mobile commerce a reality," said Michael Abbott, chief executive officer of Isis, in a statement. "As part of our commitment to consumers, we are incorporating feedback from our pilots into the next generation of the Isis Mobile Wallet as we prepare for national availability later this year."

Isis has partnered with both American Express and Chase for the payments portion of the wallet. The wallet will come with an American Express Serve prepaid account that allows customers to pay bills online, make purchases at stores that accept American Express and send money to others. Users can load funds to this account from a bank account, debit, credit or charge card, or other American Express Serve account holders can send money to it.

"Our relationship with American Express Serve underscores our mutual commitment to providing consumers with choice and value in mobile payments," said Abbott. "We learned through our pilot that customers love the convenience of tap and pay with the ability to manage their payments and loyalty programs from one app. By adding American Express Serve to the Isis Wallet, we can immediately provide millions of consumers the opportunity to participate in mobile commerce as we continue to enrich the consumer experience."

Chase has also opted to add its credit card capabilities to Isis Mobile Wallet. It's partnered with Isis to let cardholders add Chase cards to the wallet. Only Chase Freedom, Chase Sapphire, Slate from Chase and JP Morgan Palladium cards may be added to the mobile wallet.

"Chase is committed to providing cardholders with a first-rate mobile payments experience," said Richard Quigley, president, Chase Card Services, in a statement. "Based on the positive results in Austin and Salt Lake, we are pleased to expand our relationship with Isis and provide Chase cardholders nationwide with another quick, convenient and secure way to use their credit cards for everyday spending while on-the-go."

Isis users can use these cards to pay at merchants that accept contactless payments through MasterCard PayPass, Visa PayWave, American Express ExpressPay or Discover Zip. Some merchants have SmartTap enabled readers for loyalty programs and special offers.

The information stored in the mobile wallet stays safe because it's protected by a user-generated four-digit PIN. If a phone is lost or stolen, users can suspend the wallet remotely through Isis' website or by contacting their wireless carrier. The credential information on the cards is also stored on the phone's secure element, which is an informational chip on the phone that's secured by frequently changing security codes.

Some loyalty programs that were involved in the pilot programs plan to stick with Isis and join the national rollout out. Members of Coca-Cola's My Coke Rewards program can add their accounts to the Isis Mobile Wallet. Jamba Juice participates in the mobile wallet to deliver special offers to wallet users.

"Our offer program was successful in driving incremental foot traffic, increasing the frequency of consumer store visits and introducing Jamba Juice to first-time customers. We are not making plans to expand nationally with Isis so that all our franchisees can enjoy the benefits we have seen in our pilot markets," said James White, chief executive officer, Jamba Juice, in a statement.

While Isis has not announced a specific date for the national rollout, it is creating a next generation platform that incorporates feedback from the pilot programs in order to enhance the full-scale launch.

Table of Contents