UOB to offer Visa tokenisation via its app

• First in APAC to launch Visa Token Service to enhance mobile and digital payments
• New security technology replaces sensitive payment account information with tokens

 
VISA announced the launch of the Visa Token Service in Asia Pacific with United Overseas Bank (UOB), the first bank to implement the service in the region.
 
The Visa Token Service is a new security technology that replaces sensitive payment account information found on payment cards, such as the 16-digit account number, expiration date and security code, with a unique digital identifier or ‘token’ that can be used to process payments without exposing actual account details, Visa said in a statement.
 
Visa cards that are tokenised are also domain controlled, meaning the tokenised card is linked to a consumer’s phone or wallet application and is validated in real-time by VisaNet, its global payment processing platform.
 
Visa said it works in concert with financial institutions, technology platform providers and device manufacturers to incorporate new and advanced identification methods to further protect consumers with device identification, biometric authentication, and other capabilities.
 
Tokenisation was first introduced as a new global standard in October 2013 by Visa and other payment schemes to enhance security and simplify consumers’ purchasing experience, it added (click infographic to view in full).
 
“We live in a connected world and with the rise of digitisation, it is important the payments industry is focused on delivering a safe, secure, simple, and consistent consumer purchasing experience,” said T.S. Anil, head of product for Asia Pacific at Visa.
 
“The Visa Token Service can help prevent fraud by offering financial institutions, merchants, and third-party payment providers, such as digital wallet providers, a secure way to enable mobile and online payments without sharing sensitive account information,” he added.
 
UOB has implemented the Visa Token Service as part of its digital wallet, UOB Mighty.
 
The service allows its Visa credit or debit cardholders to make contactless payments with an NFC-enabled (near-field communications) Android smartphone simply by launching the UOB Mighty app, selecting the ‘Pay’ function, entering a PIN (personal identification number) and tapping to pay at all NFC-enabled terminals in Singapore and overseas.
 
“With the Visa Token Service, UOB is able to offer Singapore customers the option of making contactless payments, with tokenised security, through their smartphones at the point of sale - whether it is in a supermarket, coffee shop or at a petrol station,” said Dennis Khoo, head of personal financial services, Singapore, UOB.
 
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