MasterCard PayPass Ready is the credit card companies attempt at taking on NFC (near field communication) payment systems head on by creating a standard system. Smartphones and other devices which are MasterCard PayPass approved will be able to with a simple hover near a capable register to pay for your purchases without the need of taking out a credit card and actually swiping. To gain MasterCard’s approval and allowance of using their seal of approval on your company website and presumably product box, devices must first be tested by a MasterCard-accredited laboratory to ensure devices are functionally reliable and secure. To date, 17 mobile devices have made the cut with phones from Nokia and RIM. Now, Sony Mobile has entered the mix as well with three devices of its own.

The Sony Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia sola have all been certified with MasterCard PayPass Ready, allowing you to link your MasterCard to your smartphone for even easier shopping. The MasterCard PayPass Ready identifier can also be used worldwide and is not restricted for use in specific markets, helping bring humanity one step closer to one another, or at least your money to their business. While not quite NFC, using the Starbucks mobile app on my iPhone 4S, I can vouch on the convenience of not having to deal with taking out your credit card and being able to simply hold your phone in front of the scanner for payment.

Discuss:

Is NFC something that Sony should bring to all of their smartphones?

[Via MasterCard]