Osaifu-Keitai: Mobile Wallet


Back in 2004, NTT DoCoMo introduced the first mobile wallet. DoCoMo is a spin-off of Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT), the largest telecommunications carrier in Japan. Named Osaifu-Keitai which literally means 'Wallet Mobile', the wallet is based on the FeliCa integrated circuit developed by Sony. FeliCa is a smart card and is the de facto card standard in Japan.

NTT DoCoMo fully integrates the chip into phone handsets thereby extending mobile device functionality to include payments. The chip communicates with contact-less readers such as POS equipment, parking meters and train ticketing kiosk to effect payment.

While Osaifu-Keitai is a product of bringing together an array of players, other wallets are sponsored by either a bank, operator or a combination of both. Mobile operators typically favour SIM-based wallets. All the functionality is embedded onto the Subscriber Identity Module. The application is pre-loaded or provisioned over the air and the database is maintained by the operator.

Banks, on the other hand, gravitate towards network indifferent wallets. Although the mobile payment application may reside on the phone (either on the SIM or phone memory), the actual mWallet is located at the bank or third-party servers.

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