NFC TimesThe premier source for news, analysis and commentary on
Near Field Communication and all contactless technology

American Express and Isis have announced that AmEx plans to participate in the two large NFC pilots Isis plans to launch this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Austin, Texas.

The plans by American Express to make its consumer and small business cards available for download to the Isis NFC mobile wallet is not surprising, since Isis announced last July that the AmEx network–along with those from the three other major U.S. payment brands, Visa, MasterCard Worldwide and Discover Financial Services–had agreed to accept payment from the wallet.

A spokeswoman for Isis said plans are still on track for Isis, the joint venture formed by major U.S. mobile carriers Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile, to launch in the two cities sometime this summer.

The announcement Thursday indicates AmEx is onboard for the pilots, though the payment company said its Serve digital accounts would only be available for the Isis wallet at a “later date.”

Serve is AmEx’s platform designed to enable consumers use their mobile phones and computers to send and receive money and shop online with a prepaid account they fund with their U.S. bank accounts or credit or debit cards. Serve cards and accounts also could be used for offline purchases, including from NFC phones.

The announcement Thursday also indicated American Express cardholders would be able to use loyalty programs in the Isis wallet.

AmEx joins JPMorgan Chase, Capital One and Barclaycard US as issuers planning to offer payment applications for the wallet.

Isis continues to work on technical issues and on negotiating fees with issuers leading up to the two-city launch.