Turkcell equips 300,000 customers with T-series NFC capable phones

The Turkish mobile network operator’s customers now have the option of making payments via a BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone, an own-branded Huawei NFC phone, a new NFC Android handset made by ZTE or with an add-on for a standard mobile. [Updated]

Turkcell's Cep-T Cuzdan mobile wallet
TURKCELL: 300,000 NFC-capable T-Series phones in circulation

UPDATE: Our article originally stated that Turkcell had signed up 300,000 customers for its Cep-T Cüzdan mobile wallet service. Turkcell has clarified that, although 300,000 customers are now equipped with T-series NFC capable handsets, not all are using Cep-T Cüzdan. Turkcell doesn’t charge subscribers for joining the service, but consumers do need to exchange their old SIM for a new one and not everyone has done so.

Turkcell, Turkey’s largest mobile network operator, has now signed up 300,000 customers for its Cep-T Cüzdan NFC mobile wallet service equipped 300,000 customers with NFC-capable T-series mobile phones, product manager Ergi Şener has told NFC World, and is continuing to add further NFC phones and features.

The NFC service, launched in May 2011, is now available to customers of three Turkish banks and users have the option of choosing from four different phones:

  • A BlackBerry Bold 9900 smartphone. Last month, Turkcell became the first carrier in the world to offer customers the ability to make NFC payments with their BlackBerry.
  • The Turkcell T20. This own-branded Android NFC phone was co-developed by Turkcell and Huawei and was introduced in June 2011.
  • The Turkcell T11, a new NFC Android phone made by ZTE, which was introduced in January 2012. The device retails for 389 TL (US$213).
  • An NFC add-on for a standard mobile. Turkcell offers its own T10 phone, which comes with a Copni SIM+antenna solution from On Track Innovations, as well as add-ons for other handset models.

The 300,000 subscriber number is based on Turkcell T-series devices alone, says Şener, who adds that the T20 is currently Turkey’s best selling Android phone.

Turkcell was also the first mobile operator in the world to provide support for more than one bank application on its mobile wallet platform, Şener adds. Three of Turkey’s leading banks — Yapı Kredi, Garanti and Akbank — have now completed their integration and made their applications available on Cep-T Cüzdan.

Road toll payments have now also been made available to T11 users, in collaboration with Bank Asya, allowing users to pay toll fees with their NFC phone. Additional features due to be added to Cep-T Cüzdan in the future include loyalty, ticketing, ID and physical access control applications, says Şener.

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