RIVERWOODS, Ill. - Discover Financial Services, a business unit of Morgan Stanley and Motorola Inc., has announced plans to launch a mobile-payments and account-management trial that allows participants to check their Discover Card account balances, review payment history, and make purchases using their mobile phones.
According to a news release, the pilot involves up to 1,000 participants with Discover Card accounts and multiple merchants in areas in and around Chicago and Salt Lake City. The pilot uses Motorola phones and Motorola's "M-Wallet" software, and is designed to test the infrastructure associated with accessing real-time account information over the air as well as the use of near field communications technology, which is required for mobile payments.
"Not only will this pilot give us feedback on the technology, but, also, it will provide valuable information about how merchants and cardmembers interface with it," said Joby Orlowsky, vice president of marketing for Discover Network. "This ensures that we deliver a customer experience that is seamless and relevant, and that meets their expectations every step of the way."
Discover Network's contactless platform, combined with Motorola's "M-Wallet," allows cardholders to download Discover Card accounts to their cellular devices.
"The Motorola 'M-Wallet' solution creates value for financial institutions and retailers by streamlining electronic transactions and optimizing the customer management processes," said Navin Mehta, vice president of services for Motorola Networks & Enterprise.
