MasterCard is to launch its MasterPass digital payment platform in Italy by the end of the first quarter of 2014. MasterPass secures and speeds up m-commerce and online shopping by saving customer shipping and payment information in a digital wallet.

Shoppers using MasterPass don't have to enter their card and shipping details each time they make a purchase from an online retailer. Instead, they click on the "Buy with MasterPass" button and enter their username and password to pay for purchases. Credit, debit and prepaid cards from any major payment brand can be used with MasterPass. MasterPass is optimised for smartphones' small screens and can be used from any connected device.

International customers will be able to use MasterPass to make purchases from Italian retailers, MasterCard says.

Italy is experiencing steady e-commerce and m-commerce growth, and Italian purchases using mobile devices rose by 255 percent to EUR 510 million ($700 million) in 2013, making the country ripe for an innovation such as MasterPass, MasterCard says.

Banca Sella is the first Italian acquiring bank to offer the MasterPass service to its online clients. Major Italian brands Mediaworld, Trenitalia and Vodafone have already enrolled for MasterPass and will shortly be joined by Esselunga, MasterCard says.

BNP Paribas subsidiary BNL is the first Italian bank to pilot MasterPass in the run up to the commercial launch of the digital wallet in early in 2014. Other major Italian banks working to implement MasterPass include Banca Generali, BPM, Findomestic and Intesa Sanpaolo.

Italian acquirers CartaSi, Deutsche Bank and Setefi have subscribed to the MasterPass service and will roll it out to their business clients over the coming months.

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