Canadian telecommunications carrier TELUS has said that it will be using Gemalto's UpTeq NFC SIM cards to enable consumers to securely store data and payment credentials on their mobile devices. TELUS subscribers will  be able to use their mobile devices for secure payments, loyalty programs and transit passes.

"Gemalto's UpTeq NFC SIM technologies comply with the most stringent global security requirements and they have a vast track record in the successful rollout of NFC projects across the world," said Drazen Lalovic, vice president of market planning at TELUS. "TELUS will be bringing mobile payment technology to customers very soon and we have teamed up with Gemalto to offer a secure and seamless experience to enable the storage of payment and non-payment credentials on TELUS SIM cards."

Fully compliant with requirements from American Express, MasterCard and Visa, the UpTeq NFC SIM stores credit and other payment card credentials just as securely as a chip does, Gemalto said.

"Having migrated to EMV chip years ago, the Canadian market is naturally well positioned to offer NFC enabled credential solutions within its well-developed contactless ecosystem which boasts one of the greatest contractless-ready retail point-of-sale penetration rates globally," said Sébastien Cano, senior vice president of telecommunications at Gemalto North America. "TELUS' 7.7 million wireless customers will be among the first to enjoy the convenience of NFC services."

Read more about contactless/NFC.