Research in Motion has announced that two of its smartphones, the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and BlackBerry Curve 9360, have been certified by MasterCard as PayPass-approved devices, the first SIM-based NFC smartphones to receive the certification.

"NFC technology is making smartphones even smarter and the MasterCard certification is a significant step forward in helping transform the way we use mobile devices for payments," Andrew Bocking, RIM's product manager for handheld software, said in the announcement.

Bocking added that the company is working with carrier partners, banks, retailers and other members of the mobile payment industry "to push the boundaries of how NFC can enable new mobile experiences."

According to the announcement, the certification from MasterCard was based on the devices meeting functionality, interoperability and security requirements. The certification means that banks that issue MasterCard PayPass-enabled cards can deploy those accounts to the SIM card on the BlackBerry devices.

France Telecom – Orange said it would be offering the two certified BlackBerry devices to its customers.

"We are committed to actively marketing NFC devices, and these new smartphones will help accelerate the adoption of mobile NFC services secured by an Orange SIM, including mobile payments,” said Vincent Barnaud, director of Contactless Services at France Telecom – Orange.

For its part, MasterCard said it applauds RIM's efforts to foster adoption of NFC technologies.

"The availability of NFC on popular BlackBerry smartphones is an important milestone for the mobile contactless payments business," said Mung Ki Woo, Group Executive for Mobile at MasterCard Worldwide, in the statement.

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