Verifone Monday announced that Westpac Banking Corp. will be the first bank in the Asia-Pacific region to deploy its new handheld EMV and NFC-enabled terminal that is fully supported with payment services from Verifone, according to a press release. 

Westpac will provide merchants with Verifone's VX 690 payment terminal along with full terminal management support through Verifone's payment-as-a-service platform. 

"At Westpac we know the tools our merchants use are critical to getting the most out of their business and delivering the best possible experience for their customers," said Steve Aliferis, head of product for Australian financial services at Westpac. "That's why we are one of the first banks in the world to introduce the latest Verifone terminals, which are designed to solve payment challenges and bring convenience to our merchants to accept emerging forms of payments in any type of environment."

Verifone said in the announcement that its VX 690 handheld terminal can accept contactless payments, including NFC-based mobile wallets and EMV cards. The device also features Bluetooth, 3G radio and Wi-Fi connectivity. The terminal will be able to accept cards branded by UnionPay International.