The Canadian mobile payment market, which has lagged behind the U.S. market, will be getting a mobile wallet soon — complete with an NFC-enabled virtual credit card to put in it —thanks to Rogers Communications.

Rogers Communications, Canada's largest wireless carrier with more than 9 million subscribers, is expecting to launch its credit card later this year. Company CEO Nadir Mohamed told the Montreal Gazette (story via NFC World) that Rogers is simply waiting for regulatory approval to begin issuing the cards.

"There's no question that when we launch our credit card, it will also be one of the first credit cards on your virtual wallet," Mohamed said in the Gazette article.

A credit card would be the culmination of Rogers' efforts to offer a mobile payment product to its subscribers. Last September the company filed an application with the Canadian government to form its own financial institution. Rogers and Canadian bank CIBC announced in May that they would partner on a mobile paymet product using NFC technologies.

For more on this subject, visit the carriers/card schemes research center.