National Australia Bank is rolling out a series of card-linked enhancements to its mobile banking app, including a 'world-first' feature which enables consumers to use the app to pay for purchases while waiting for the arrival of new Visa credit cards.
The new suite of card transaction control features will enable customers to select and modify when and how their Visa debit and credit cards can be used.
“Customers will be able to control what type of payments can be made through the App; for example, if you’ve provided a secondary card to a family member, you can choose “Don’t Allow” for online purchases on that card,” says NAB executive general manager of consumer lending Angus Gilfillan.
Using the app, customers will also be able to instantly use their new credit card through NAB Pay for contactless transactions less than $100, without having to wait for their physical card to arrive in the mail, a facility described as a 'world first' by Gilfillan.
Other features include the ability for customers to place a temporary block on any card that may have been lost or stolen.
The latest set of card transaction controls emerge from a strategic partnership struck between the Australian bank and Visa last year which has seen NAB tap into the card scheme's developer platform.
Global head of Visa Developer, Mark Jamison, says: “By directly connecting Visa and NAB developers through the Visa Developer program, the NAB team was able to save around six months of development time.”
Gilfillan says an open pilot of the new app will commence soon for compatible Android devices, with feedback from iOS devices following in the coming weeks. The fully-featured app will be launched in stages over the coming year.
In tandem with the latest developments, NAB is also this week launching new NAB PayTag stickers which can be attached to mobile devices to enable contactless payments linked to a customer’s Visa debit card.