New Delhi, Sep 30 (NationPress) With the rise in popularity of contactless payments via smartphones, PhonePe and Mastercard have teamed up to unveil a unique feature aimed exclusively at Mastercard cardholders in India.

This innovative feature allows Mastercard cardholders to conduct in-store purchases simply by tapping their NFC-enabled smartphones against payment terminals through the PhonePe application.

The partnership focuses on providing secure and seamless 'tap and pay' experiences at retail stores, in addition to supporting tokenized e-commerce transactions—all facilitated through NFC-compatible Android smartphones.

Users can effortlessly store their Mastercard credit, debit, and prepaid cards issued in India on their smartphones, enjoying all advantages associated with card payments.

By merging Mastercard’s expertise in tokenization with PhonePe’s extensive user base of 618 million registered users, this launch broadens access to digital payments both domestically and internationally, reinforcing the commitment of both companies to bolster India's rapidly evolving digital economy.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mastercard to introduce device-based tokenization to millions of PhonePe users. The increasing adoption of NFC-enabled smartphones, along with a growing consumer preference for 'tap and pay' transactions, creates a seamless user experience,” stated Deep Agrawal, Head of Payments at PhonePe.

“This enhances both convenience and security, enabling contactless payments at physical stores and safer online purchases—all within the familiar PhonePe platform. We see this collaboration as a significant step toward providing a world-class payment experience for PhonePe users in India and while traveling abroad,” Agrawal further commented.

Mastercard cardholders can now access a range of powerful features, including secure tap and pay transactions at NFC-enabled terminals across India and beyond, using the PhonePe app on Android devices.

This also enhances online shopping security. Users can shop safely with Mastercard cards via the PhonePe app, as each transaction is tokenized and linked to their device, rendering stolen credentials ineffective elsewhere.

Storing the card just once allows for rapid, secure checkouts every time, supported by Mastercard's global tokenization expertise and PhonePe's user-friendly interface.

“Mastercard has always championed innovation. This collaboration with PhonePe is a pivotal move in expanding digital payments through enhanced device-based tokenization, enabling Mastercard cardholders to tap and pay at merchant locations both domestically and internationally. India is crucial in driving global digital commerce, and Mastercard is proud to support this momentum with solutions that make transactions smarter and safer,” remarked Ravi Datla, Senior Vice President, Products and Solutions, South Asia, Mastercard.

Users can securely add their credit and debit cards to the PhonePe app through a straightforward, one-time process. Once the card is tokenized and saved, they can make seamless payments by selecting the card and tapping their smartphone against any PoS machine for in-store purchases, as well as online shopping.

The new feature will gradually roll out to Mastercard cardholders on the PhonePe app.