Life of Guangzhou - Cell Phone as Multi-paying "Yangchengtong" Card

NFC phone in use / Nokia NFC phone

From today on, NFC (Near Field Communication) cell phones for multi-purpose payment, will be put into sale and use in Guangzhou. It features all the functions of "Yangchengtong"—a rechargeable paying card mainly for transportation in the city.

With a NFC chip installed inside, this kind of phone can function as "Yangchengtong". People can use their Yangchengtong Cards as an e-payment tool soon to go shopping and to watch movies at the outlets with corresponding card reading equipment. A user who wants to pay only places his NFC phone close enough to the reader until a beep sound comes out of the reader to finish the pyment.

It is reported that Nokia, Samsung and Motorola have developed special NFC phones. More kinds of cell phones for payment are in R&D. It is believed that "Yangchengtong" users would have more phone choices by 2007.

The paying phones in R&D may even have the function of one-Key-Recharge. People can recharge the "Yangchengtong" Card and directly pay for value-added services, like cell phone on-line games, via his card account integrated with his cell phone account.

(Translated by staff editor Harry Bai, www.lifeofguangzhou.com)