Citibank Launches Citi Tap and Pay Pilot Service in Bangalore Date:   Monday , August 03, 2009 To make the mode of payment easier, Citibank launched Citi Tap and Pay pilot service in Bangalore. Using NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, Citi bank, in partnership with Nokia, Vodafone, ViVOtech, and MasterCard, is assessing customer acceptance to making contact-less transactions through mobile NFC. This allows users to use the phone instead of credit card to make purchases at the grocery store, bookstore, or eating joint by tapping the phone on a contact-less reader. N Rajashekaran, Country Business Manager, Global Consumer Group, Citi India says, “Citi believes that contact-less mobile payment services will be a key lifestyle driver for our highly mobile and increasingly urban customer base.” The service can be availed by registering and having a Citibank account and MasterCard card. The service functions only on Nokia 6212 phones, being sold at an inaugural price of Rs. 5,000. Customers need to have a Vodafone connection and will be charged for the GPRS service to make contact-less payment. The six-month project is targeting to enroll around 5,000 Citibank customers.