With NFC on your smartphone, using it to pay for your morning commute across London may be getting closer to reality. According to a report in the Financial Times, carriers EE and Vodafone have begun talks with Transport for London over beginning trials of a mobile wallet to pay for your travel.
The initial trial is expected to be a “pay as you go” scheme using apps owned by the mobile operators that can be preloaded with money. Operators could also consider payment for tickets on a weekly or monthly basis, according to a person familiar with the plans.
The barriers at London Underground stations will work with smartphones for NFC payments, though that facility would need to be activated first. With the successful Oyster card scheme costly for TfL to run, they're opening up to other methods of contactless payments for travellers.
Source: Financial Times
