Nokia has announced a new product for secure mobile payments and ticketing, being dubbed as the world’s first Near Field Communications (NFC) product for mobile payments, the first NFC handset will essentially be an enhanced Nokia 3220 phone.

The NFC shell for payment and ticketing will allow consumers to conduct seamless transactions simply by touching a point of sale device or ticket gate. It will function with existing contactless smart card infrastructures, this makes it an easy deployable service most retailers can add without additional investments.

“The development of the Nokia NFC shell serves as a natural extension of Visa’s contactless card and phone programs around the world. Moreover, it aligns well with Visa’s commitment to enabling payments anywhere, anytime, through any device.” said Jim Lee, senior vice president, Product Technology and Standards, Visa International.

The Nokia NFC shell for payment and ticketing will be available in mid 2005. The product will be distributed to consumers through operators, and as such it will not be generally available as a traditional enhancement.

The Nokia NFC shell will be demonstrated by Nokia at the Cannes 3GSM World Congress 2005.