Two Dutch banks, ABN AMRO and ING, will soon launch contactless debit cards through MasterCard's Maestro brand next year in preparation for a wider rollout of mobile payments in the Netherlands in 2013. The cards will be enabled by MasterCard's PayPass technology.

"This is a unique development, with two banks individually launching contactless payments in a country," said MasterCard Benelux Manager, David Dechamps. "Thanks to MasterCard’s collaboration with two of the leading retail banks, Netherlands will become the largest PayPass debit card country in Europe. This is a great development for both consumers and merchants alike in the Netherlands."

The banks said they expect that by the second half of 2013, consumers will be able to pay with their smart phones at the point of sale.

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