These most recent mobile partnerships join a growing global trend toward wireless telecommunications providers rolling out mobile contactless payment options to their customers and further positions MasterCard as the partner of choice for the mobile telecommunications industry.

The announcements last week builds on a steady stream of significant mobile partnerships around the world for MasterCard and marks a significant step by further expanding the company's presence in the mobile payments space, and delivering great mobile payments experiences to consumers.

"2012 has been a significant year for MasterCard as we have put our focus on being the partner of choice for telecommunications service providers around the world. "" said Jorn Lambert, Head of Emerging Payments at MasterCard Europe. "The combination of MasterCard's leading innovation and technologies combined with the technological advancements in the handsets and service provider networks is fuelling the enthusiasm for strong and meaningful partnerships. Together we are offering greater value to consumers worldwide."

2012 milestones to date include:
• T-Mobile and MasterCard announced they will offer customers mobile payments based on NFC technology from 29 October in Poland. The offer will be launched with four banks and available as part of the MyWallet service and is one of the first advanced solutions commercially implemented in Europe that allows an integration of full functionality of debit and credit card, as well as others services with the phone.
• MasterCard, Orange Polska and mBank announced they will be introducing Orange Cash in Poland as from November 2012. Polish consumers will then be able to make fast, convenient and secure payments by simply tapping their mobile smartphone where MasterCard® PayPass™ is accepted.
• Vodafone Italy and MasterCard launched Smart Pass NFC, a new payment system integrated into the phone. Starting in Milan, the experimentalal phase of the service allows consumers to buy goods and services using smartphones equipped with NFC MasterCard PayPass ™ at enabled POS.
• MasterCard (http://newsroom.mastercard.com) and NTT DOCOMO, INC., Japan's leading mobile operator and provider of integrated services centered on mobility, selected MasterCard as a partner to expand contactless payments options for consumers in Japan. The collaboration will connect DOCOMO's domestic payment network to the world, enabling customers using iD mobile credit payments with compatible DOCOMO smartphones to make contactless payments outside of Japan, anywhere MasterCard® PayPass™ is accepted.
• Turkcell and MasterCard launched one of the most advanced mobile wallet solutions in the world, the Turkcell Wallet, in partnership with 14 banks in Turkey, combining numerous innovative solutions on a single commerce and payment platform and which is compatible with all mobile phones. It compiles mobile payments, mobile banking and a mobile loyalty programme.
• MasterCard and Everything Everywhere, the UK's largest communications company, announced an exclusive, five-year partnership to develop leading mobile and digital payment solutions for Everything Everywhere's 27 million UK customers.
• MasterCard and Deutsche Telekom announced a European partnership to enable consumers to use their mobile phones as a convenient and secure way to pay. The partnership aims to make mobile payments a reality for Deutsche Telekom's 93 million mobile customers across Europe.

Commenting on the partnership with MasterCard, Mr. Thomas Kiessling, Chief Product and Innovation Officer for Deutsche Telekom said, "This is a huge step on our way to increase mobile payments. With MasterCard we have a well-known and experienced partner generating growth in this important market segment. We want to build a comprehensive ecosystem around mobile payment, helping Telekom to realize its strategy of being the first choice for customers regarding connected life and work."

Wireless service providers and handset manufacturers are investing in deploying new technology such as Near Field Communication (NFC) that makes contactless payments possible. MasterCard, in addition to improving its payments networks, is working with its merchant partners to bring the PayPass services to consumers at retail Point-Of-Sale. MasterCard PayPass has been making strides as the contactless technology of choice through partnerships, new terminalization and commercial deployment of additional NFC enabled mobile handsets. The relationships with merchants have helped the PayPass contactless payment network to grow with over 500,000 merchant locations in 41 countries.

Independent industry growth projections suggest that the global installed base of NFC-ready point-of-sale terminals could grow to 43.4m units in 2017[1]. This signifies the great potential in the contactless payment space.

MasterCard will continue to build relationships with wireless service providers around the world, to deliver innovative new solutions to consumers. In the coming months, many more partnerships will be launched, bringing mobile payments to millions of consumers.