Sony Arms Hong Kong’s Octopus With NFC Tech

While NFC payments haven’t been taking off here in the US, the technology has seen greater adoption abroad.

Sony is partnering up with Hong Kong transportation ticketing provider Octopus, and mobile carrier, PCCW-HKT to test out broader NFC payments.

Sony’s smartcard tech, named FeliCa, will provide Octopus with NFC enabled SIM cards through Gemalto, and a FeliCa based Octopus app.

A user with an NFC enabled phone can then use the Octopus app in conjunction with their installed NFC SIM cards to pay for public transportation, parking meters, participating taxis, food, retail stores, and entertainment in Hong Kong.

The Octopus app functions similarly to a mobile wallet. Users of the app will have to transfer funds to the app through Octopus readers throughout Hong Kong.

The test will involve 5,000 participants who are PCCW-HKT customers. According to Sony, this effort is “”part of its strategy to develop mobile solutions globally.”

FeliCa has seen usage in Japan as early as 2004, where it was found in mobile phones as a smartcard solution.

Though NFC as a payment method hasn’t reached the projected adoption numbers domestically, this test is a sign that NFC can provide convenience and efficiency to every day tasks, that would normally be slowed down by cash and credit or debit transactions.