The News

G&D launches next generation of contactless payment cards

31/01/2007

New StarCL contactless platform offers enhanced performance with MasterCard® PayPass™ and Visa Contactless payment applications built-in

Dulles, VA. Jan 31, 2007 – Giesecke & Devrient has introduced its next generation of contactless payment cards for U.S. bankcard issuers. G&D’s StarCL v2 contactless payment cards deliver enhanced performance and reliability integrated in a card platform that offers the potential for achieving mass-scale deployment.

G&D’s newest StarCL v2 contactless card product line for the U.S. market provides bankcard issuers with a payment card platform that has major payment brand contactless applications loaded onto the card. The selection (e.g., MasterCard PayPass, Visa Contactless) is performed during the card pre-personalization or initialization process.

Using the latest MicroPass L4-2G contactless intelligent hardware technology from INSIDE Contactless, G&D’s StarCL v2 offers full MasterCard PayPass and Visa Contactless compliance, faster contactless payment transaction times, and reduced internal power consumption for greater reliability and product life. The platform also features a built-in multi-application development environment to facilitate the deployment of value-added retail, loyalty, transit, and access control applications along with core payment processing.

“The latest generation of INSIDE’s MicroPass intelligent hardware platform has been designed to provide G&D with a multi-brand, multi-application platform with improved performance features,” said Didier Serra, INSIDE Contactless' General Manager and Executive Vice President of Sales for North America. “G&D is one of the world’s leading contactless card manufacturers, and we are pleased to build upon our 2006 successes as we support their operations in 2007.” 
 
"We welcome the introduction of G&D’s next generation of contactless cards into our Visa Smart Breakthrough program", said Brian Triplett, Senior Vice President of Emerging Technology Development at Visa USA. "This is an excellent example of Visa partnering with a leading company to develop advanced chip technologies that continuously improve card products worldwide."

The new G&D StarCL v2 cards will be available in production quantities in March 2007.  In conjunction with G&D’s multiple antenna options, such as half, full, mini, etched, and printed, the StarCL product family is a cornerstone of G&D’s Contactless Quick Start Program. This program bundles the card products and services that issuers need to get a contactless payment card program underway, including special discounts on StarCL contactless payment cards and complete production program management services.

“Next-generation contactless card offerings from innovators such as G&D are helping to spur the impressive growth of contactless payments worldwide,” said Cathleen Conforti, senior vice president and global PayPass product manager, MasterCard Worldwide.

According to Christian Juettner, G&D Group Vice President, “As the market grows, the StarCL platform will enable us to reach the price point needed for contactless cards to replace a large percentage of the magnetic-stripe cards currently issued by U.S. banks. Coupled with our Quick Start Program, many of the obstacles for issuers to launch contactless payment programs are reduced.”