The achievement illustrates First Data's readiness for supporting commercial launches of mobile contactless payment programs, according to security requirements for the DiscoverZip application.

This qualification enables First Data to support financial institutions in the deployment of their Near Field Communications (NFC) services on mobile devices. NFC is a wireless technology that enables data transmission between two objects when placed within a few inches of each other. Smartphones enabled with NFC technology can exchange data with other NFC-enabled devices or read information from smart tags embedded in posters, stickers and other products.

"Being one of the first brands to pilot NFC wallets and to issue mobile payment stickers, Discover now has a TSM qualification process that provides our partners with confidence that the platform powering their NFC-based products is highly-secure," said Troy Bernard, global head of Chip Payment Products at Discover.

First Data built its TSM solution as a managed service model that allows account issuers such as financial institutions to integrate once and avoid the complexity of costly, many-to-many integrations with little return on investment. With a single interface that gives financial institutions access to most major NFC-enabled mobile wallets, the First Data TSM solution simplifies their entry into mobile payments and makes it easy to provide their customers the experience they expect regardless of the wallet selected.

"The Discover qualification is another important milestone for the First Data TSM solution, which is still the only commercially launched program at scale," said Dom Morea, SVP and division manager, Advanced Solutions and Innovation at First Data. "Because First Data issuing clients are pre-integrated to our TSM, financial institutions can manage a relationship with one TSM rather than with numerous mobile network operators and mobile wallet owners. Our Secure Element (SE) owner neutral model also has the ability to securely provision financial institutions' accounts to a variety of SE destinations."

Around the world, every second of every day, First Data makes payment transactions secure, fast and easy for merchants, financial institutions and their customers. First Data leverages its vast product portfolio and expertise to drive customer revenue and profitability. Whether the choice of payment is by debit or credit card, gift card, check or mobile phone, online or at the checkout counter, First Data takes every opportunity to go beyond the transaction.