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

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Rabobank, one of the big three banks in the Netherlands, announced it will make debit cards for its Rabo Wallet available on NFC SIM cards issued by No. 1 Dutch telco KPN starting in the spring, after having anchored the wallet to embedded chips in Samsung flagship phones starting last year.

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Dutch bank Rabobank has launched an NFC-enabled mobile wallet, storing a debit application on embedded secure elements in two older Samsung Android devices, which the bank claims is the first NFC mobile payments launch in the country.

NFC Times Exclusive: Whereas three years ago, major banks and telcos in the Netherlands looked like they would move forward together on NFC mobile payments, with plans to form a first-of-its kind joint venture, the situation today promises to be much different.

The three major banks in the Netherlands, ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank, have formed a temporary group to launch a large NFC trial in the Dutch city of Leiden with mobile operator KPN.

Dutch mobile operators and banks have decided not to form a joint venture to roll out NFC services together, saying “developments in the market” were responsible for ending the deal that was nearly three years in the making.

Major mobile operators and banks in the Netherlands say they plan to launch their NFC mobile-payment project in early 2013 as they await approval from European regulators for their planned joint venture.

Dutch operators and banks plan to launch NFC services in the second or third quarter of 2012, probably starting in a small city followed by a nationwide launch weeks later, Peter Van Leeuwen, strategy and business development manager for mobile operator KPN, reportedly said.

The three largest banks and three largest mobile operators in the Netherlands today announced their intention to form a joint venture to launch mobile payment, using full NFC phones.