The bank is running the technology tests with 600 staff and customers, using more than 3000 point-of-sale terminals installed at shops, cafes and supermarkets. The specially-equipped terminals have been donated by Setefi, the payment institution of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group.

Banca Intesa Sanpaolo is providing the pilot participants - who also include employees of the universities of Milan and Turin - with Samsung Wave S5780 smartphones for the duration of the project.

The phones have been equipped with NFC-enabled SIMs embedded with MasterCard PayPass contactless technology supplied by Germany's Giesecke & Devrient.