Privredna Banka Zagreb, Intesa Sanpaolo Card Ltd. and American Express this week announced that the three companies have initiated a pilot to test for the first time Host Card Emulation for mobile NFC payments at point-of-sale terminals in Croatia, according to a press release.

PBZ is the first American Express card-issuing partner to test HCE on the American Express global network, according to the announcement. 

"We are delighted that PBZ is the first financial institution within the Intesa Sanpaolo Group to test HCE for secure mobile NFC payments on the global American Express network," Zdenek Houser, president of the management board of Intesa Sanpaolo Card, said in a statement. "At Intesa Sanpaolo Card, we have always been committed to investing in innovative payment technologies, and we are extremely proud that we have been able to quickly roll out this pilot with PBZ Group and American Express and enable fast, secure contactless payments using a mobile phone in Croatia."

Once a cardholder registers for the mobile NFC payment service with PBZ, the cardholder then downloads an application to the mobile phone handset. The cardholder can then enroll a payment card using two separate verification codes that PBZ provides users.

"American Express recognizes that consumers around the world are paying in new and different ways," Mike Matan, head of the global network business for American Express, said in a statement. "We are delighted to launch this HCE pilot with PBZ and Intesa Sanpaolo Card, and we look forward to working closely with them as we continue to explore and introduce new mobile NFC payment options on the American Express network in Croatia."