RBC and McDonaldโs support a Canadian first from Interac
TORONTO, March 27, 2013 โ Today marked the successful completion of the first Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile debit transactions in Canada, and among the first globally from a domestic debit network. Holding their mobile phones in front of an Interac Flash point-of-sale terminal at a McDonaldโs restaurant, participants demonstrated how this new mobile payment option will work, paying for menu items securely and immediately using funds deducted directly from their RBC Royal Bank account. Mobile Interac Flash brings Interac Flash, Canadaโs first and only contactless debit payment, to the mobile payments space.
โThis achievement in mobile debit innovation helps solidify our role in the mobile payments space in Canada,โ said Mark OโConnell, President and CEO, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation. โSoon, Canadians will be able to use their mobile phones to pay with Interac Flash quickly, conveniently and securely when making everyday purchases โ bringing added value not only to consumers, but also to the merchant community and our partner financial institutions.โ
Todayโs transactions used BlackBerry smart phones, equipped with NFC functionality and an Interac Flash application, to make contactless debit transactions at a Toronto area McDonaldโs restaurant. The Interac Flash application securely communicated the financial information to complete the contactless debit transaction in real time.
This achievement in mobile innovation was accomplished in partnership with McDonaldโs Restaurants of Canada, the participating merchant, RBC Royal Bank, the participating financial institution, Moneris Solutions, the payment service provider facilitating the transactions, and BlackBerry, the mobile device provider.
Recognizing the value of this innovative product enhancement, RBC Royal Bank will be providing their customers with the speed, convenience and security of mobile Interac Flash when it comes to market, anticipated later this year. This announcement coincides with RBCโs decision to include all Interac Flash transactions as free debit transactions for personal banking accounts, a decision Interac Association/Acxsys Corporation applauds.
โThis free mobile debit option will benefit both our clients and our merchants. RBC clients will be able to use their mobile devices to make debit payments when and where they wish to make them โ and then to immediately check their online bank balance from those same devices,โ explained Dave McKay, Group Head, Personal and Commercial Banking, RBC Royal Bank. “We know merchants want fast, secure and low-cost transactions and that is exactly what Interac Flash helps ensure.โ
The successful transactions that have taken place today set the stage for a roll out of mobile Interac Flash in the coming year.
Today marked the successful completion of the first Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile debit transaction in Canada, and among the first globally from a domestic debit network. As they appear, in order of the photo, left to right: Mark OโConnell, President and CEO, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation; Dave McKay, Group Head, Personal and Commercial Banking, RBC Royal Bank; Dave Hederson, Senior Vice President & CFO, McDonaldโs Restaurants of Canada Limited.
โWeโre pleased to offer our customers new and convenient payment options like mobile Interac Flash,โ said Dave Hederson, Senior Vice President & CFO, McDonaldโs Restaurants of Canada Limited. โAs our customersโ purchasing needs and preferences continue to evolve, we are committed to providing them with relevant ways to interact with us as their favourite place to eat and drink.โ
โWe help our merchants, such as McDonaldโs, enable innovative and economical payment solutions, which is why we are thrilled to help facilitate todayโs first mobile Interac Flash transaction,โ said Jeff Guthrie, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Moneris Solutions Corporation.
โWe are excited to be part of the first debit transaction in Canada using NFC, and we continue to work with partners to give customers the convenience, confidence, and choice to pay with any type of card,โ added Frank Maduri, Senior Director, Product Management, NFC, Mobile Payments and Mobile Wallets at BlackBerry.
โAs one of the first Canadian banks to introduce mobile banking and add Interac Flash to debit cards, we congratulate Interac on this development in mobile payments,โ said Brian McCabe, Scotiabank Vice President of Day-to-Day Banking. โTodayโs announcement is an important step in mobile payment technology, and at Scotiabank we look forward to giving our customers more options when making purchases in the near future.โ
About mobile Interac Flash
The new mobile Interac Flash gives cardholders the choice to pay for smaller value items securely and quickly by simply holding their mobile phone at a contactless point-of-sale reader that supports Interac Flash.
It uses EMVTM technology and the existing chip debit infrastructure, which protects it from fraud tactics such as copying and โelectronic pick-pocketingโ. It offers strong consumer protections and unique security features, including the fact that the mobile phone never leaves the userโs hand. Leveraging the trusted Interac brand, cardholders are also protected from unauthorized transactions under the Interac Zero Liability Policy and merchants continue to receive the benefits of secure and non-refutable transactions associated with PIN-based Interac Debit.
About Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation
A recognized world leader in debit card services, Interac Association is responsible for the development and operations of the Interac network, a national payment network that allows Canadians to access their money through Interac Cash at 60,000 Automated Banking Machines and Interac Debit at 766,000 point-of-sale terminals across Canada. Interac Flash, a secure, contactless enhancement of Interac Debit, allows Canadians to pay for items instantly with their Interac chip debit card at a reader that supports Interac Flash.
Interac Association was founded in 1984 and is comprised of a diverse membership that includes banks, trust companies, credit unions, caisses populaires, merchants and technology and payment related companies.
Other related services offered by Acxsys Corporation, whose shareholders are the architects of the Interac network, include: Interac Online, for secure online payments made directly from a bank account; Interac e-Transfer, for the transfer of money from one personโs bank account to another personโs bank account using an email address or a mobile phone number; and international services, which provide Canadian cardholders with point-of-sale access at nearly 2 million U.S. retailers, and PULSE, Discover, Diners Club International and UnionPay cardholders access to ABMs in Canada.
About RBC and Payments Innovation
RBC is at the forefront of payments innovation, bringing Canadians chip-enabled debit and credit cards, Interac Flash debit cards and the upcoming mobile Interac Flash debit for mobile devices. We provide industry-leading mobile banking flexibility and convenience to clients through RBC Mobile Apps โ available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad โ backed by our RBC Online Banking Security Guarantee. Through partnerships with other retail companies, RBC continues to bring payment innovations to the Canadian marketplace. For further information about RBC mobile solutions is available at www.rbcroyalbank.com/mobile. RBC is one of North Americaโs leading diversified financial services companies, providing personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, investor services and wholesale banking on a global basis. We employ approximately 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 49 other countries.
About McDonaldโs Canada
McDonaldโs is the leading foodservice company in the world. McDonaldโs Restaurants of Canada Limited and its Canadian franchisees own and operate more than 1,400 restaurants and employ more than 80,000 Canadians coast-to-coast. Approximately 80 per cent of McDonaldโs Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs. For more information about McDonaldโs Canada, visit www.mcdonalds.ca or follow us on Twitter (@McD_Canada, @McD_CanadaFr) and Facebook (Facebook.com/McDonaldscanada) for updates on our business, promotions and menu items.
About Moneris Solutions
As one of North America’s largest providers of payment processing solutions, Moneris Solutions Corporation (โMonerisโ) offers credit, debit, wireless and online payment services for merchants in virtually every industry segment and processes more than three billion transactions, annually. Through its Ernex division, Moneris offers electronic loyalty and stored-value gift card programs. With more than 350,000 merchant locations, Moneris provides the hardware, software and systems needed to improve business efficiency and manage payments. For more information please visit www.moneris.com.
