As new research shows that Canadians just can't leave their smartphones alone, bank CIBC and telco Telus have teamed up to enable customers to make contactless payments with their handsets.
Canadians smartphone owners check their devices on average six times every hour, suggests a poll from Harris/Decima for CIBC. The young - 18 to 24 year olds - pull out their handsets 10 times every 60 minutes.
Another Harris/Decima poll recently found 68% of Canadians between ages 18-44 say they own a smartphone and 46% of these are interested in paying for everyday purchases using their smartphone.
Having already struck a similar deal with Rogers, CIBC is now partnering Telus to take advantage of this interest, offering customers the chance to pay with their constant companions.
Telus customers with NFC-enabled Android and BlackBerry handsets can download an app and use a CIBC credit card account to make mobile payments of up to $50 at contactless terminals at many of the most popular retailers in Canada.
"Our poll captures what we've all seen when we're out shopping, at the movies, or picking up a coffee - everyone seems to have their smartphone in hand wherever they are," says Todd Roberts, SVP, payments strategy and innovation, CIBC.
"With mobile payments now coming to a growing number of mobile devices, Canadians can go from reading a text in the checkout line to paying for their purchases, all without ever reaching for their wallet."
Last month another Canadian bank, RBC, launched its NFC mobile payments service. Unlike the CIBC offering though, RBC is storing sensitive user data in the cloud rather than the handset.