Singtel and Samsung get in on EZ-Link public transport NFC action

• Singtel expands m-payment functions with Transit NFC SIM
• Samsung announces 10 compatible phone models

 
SINGAPORE Telecommunication Ltd (Singtel) has announced that customers can pay for their MRT, LRT and bus rides with the company’s Transit NFC SIM, while Samsung Electronics Singapore said that 10 of its phone models have been approved for use.
 
In a statement, Singtel said its Transit NFC SIM will enable commuters to pay for public transit rides using just their NFC (near-field communications) mobile phones.
 
The SIM was jointly developed with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and EZ-Link.
 
This expanded mobile payment function enhances Singtel’s Dash app, which has the largest mobile payment merchant network in Singapore, Singtel claimed.
 
“With customers already paying for their Comfort and CityCab taxi rides with our popular Dash app, they can now truly enjoy a seamless payment experience in their daily commutes,” said Gan Siok Hoon, vice president of m-commerce, Consumer Singapore, Singtel.
 
Embedded with an EZ-Link purse, Singtel’s Transit NFC SIM can be used in compatible NFC mobile phones to pay for bus, MRT and LRT fares.
 
Sale of Singtel Transit NFC SIMs will commence in late April. Singtel customers will be able to purchase them from Singtel Retail Shops at prevailing SIM rates with no additional costs, the company said.
 
The usual S$5 EZ-Link registration fee will also be waived for a limited time. For more information, visit www.dash.com.sg/ridewithdash.html.
 
Samsung phones
 
Meanwhile, Samsung said that it has the most number of phone models approved for the EZ-Link NFC SIM, with a total of 10.
 
These NFC-enabled phones can be used to pay for MRT, LRT, and bus rides as well as at more than 30,000 ez-link acceptance points island-wide, including at shopping, retail, and food and beverage outlets, as well as taxis.
 
“The new EZ-Link NFC SIM is another addition that enhances the Samsung ecosystem as we continue our work to enrich the total mobile experience for consumers,” said Eugene Goh, vice president, IT & Mobile, Samsung Electronics Singapore.
 
The list of approved Samsung phones for the EZ-Link NFC SIM includes the newly launched Galaxy S7 4G+ and Galaxy S7 edge 4G+.
 
Existing users of the approved NFC-enabled phones can get the new EZ-Link NFC SIM cards at their respective mobile network operators progressively from March 29.
 
More information on the new EZ-Link NFC SIM and the full list of NFC-enabled Samsung phones can be found on www.ezlinknfc.com.
 
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