Canada's leading telcos have launched a digital wallet that lets users make contactless payments with their handsets.
The suretap app was first launched last year by Rogers but has been rebooted as a joint venture with Bell, Telus, Koodo and Virgin. The wallet is now available to customers of all the operators on more than 30 NFC-enabled Android and BlackBerry handsets.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is also onboard, letting customers add its credit cards to the wallet. Other banks are expected to follow later this year.
Suretap enables users to make payments of up to C$100 at any contactless payments terminal. In addition it uses QR codes and barcodes for gift card redemption.
Jeppe Dorff, president, suretap, says: "Suretap has gained and continues to gain substantial support and participation from a growing ecosystem of Canadian companies that embrace our application's open and technology agnostic model."
The wallet is likely to face strong competition, with Apple Pay widely expected to arrive in Canada later this year and Google's Android Pay also waiting in the wings.
Telco-led mobile payments services have not fared well in other markets. American outfit Softcard folded earlier this year, selling off its assets to Google, while British JV Weve gave up before even launching.