Garanti Bank, Turkey's second largest private bank, is set to roll out mobile contactless services and mobile wallets with support from digital security company Gemalto.

Amsterdam-based Gemalto is supplying its Optelio contactless microSD card technology to Garanti, along with consulting services for infrastructure development for the bank's mobile wallet, according to an announcement.

Gemalto's microSD technology is part of a range of solutions for mobile contactless services which also includes embedded secure elements and the UpTeq multitenant NFC SIM.

Gemalto and Garanti have previously worked on the rollout of NFC services in Turkey, including contactless EMV payment cards and wristwatches. Now the addition of microSD cards to Garanti customers' mobile phones will allow the phones to be used for contactless transactions.

"Garanti's customers simply need to insert the Optelio Contactless microSD into their existing handsets to enjoy NFC interactivity," Philippe Cambriel, Gemalto's president for Europe, Mediterranean and CIS, said in a statement.

"Garanti is proud to achieve the first commercial rollout of a microSD solution," Garanti CEO of Payment Systems Onur Genc said. The microSD card does not require an external device in order to connect to the handset and also allows provisioning of applications to take place over the air, Genc said.

"We give our customers the freedom to go shopping with nothing more than their mobile phone in their pocket, and to carry their microSD with them when they change handsets," Genc said.

In the future, Garanti customers will be offered additional mobile contactless services, including couponing and loyalty programs from retailers, enterprises and public bodies, Cambriel said.

Gemalto will supply software for communication between the mobile wallet and the microSD card. The microSD payment infrastructure will be provided by MasterCard. Gemalto will also provide software and services to Garanti Technology, the bank's payment solution provider.

Garanti's microSD program is scheduled for launch via retailers and affiliated service providers in the second half of 2014.