Mobile payment one of top themes at this years MWC in Barcelona

This year’s show in Barcelona features like always a lot of new mobile models. Samsung, LG, HTC and others launch high end expensive look a likes to iPhone 6, more designed, slim and expensive units. In the other end Microsoft and Asian vendors displays low end smartphones at very low cost, targeting emerging markets to let users hop the pc era and go internet via mobiles.

Mobile payment is hotter than ever and seen as one of the main themes besides coming 5G wireless technology at this year’s event. Below are some mobile payments high lights launched and discussed in Barcelona.

Samsung Pay. Launched as "designed as device, merchant and card issuer agnostic" the service will work on the new Galaxy 6 and Galaxy 6 Edge in USA in second half of 2015. The special hardware inside will have support for contactless and mag-stripe terminals. Alike Apple Apple, Samsung Pay will be protected by fingerprint scanning tokenisation from the major card schemes.

iZettle Lite. Europe launch of a the first free of charge mini EMV chip & PIN reader that works with most smartphones and tablets.

Ingenico mPos dongle RP170C. The device offers support for both NFC/contactless and mag-stripe payments via a 3.5mm standard audio jack that can be plugged into any iOS or Android device.

PayPal buys Paydiant. PayPal has agreed to buy Paydiant, a mobile payment start-up based in Boston. Paydiant helps Subway, Capital One and the retailer joint venture MCX, with its not yet launched CurrentC service, to build mobile payments, offers and loyalty into their apps.

Android Pay. Google confirmed that it's working on a new mobile payments framework named Android Pay. This would not be a new product for users, but an "API layer" that allows other companies to support secure payments on Android in both physical stores and via apps. Google has not explained the details of Android Pay to any great degree, but it says that it would "start with NFC" and eventually accommodate biometric sensors as well.

Google and Softcard. First move after the purchase, is that Google Wallet will be preinstalled in USA on Android mobiles from former owners AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

MeaWallet to paymentize any app. In the stand in Hall 6 MeaWallet live demo cloud based payments using NFC and Host Card Emulation (HCE). With the updated MeaWallet Mobile Services Platform and the launch of Mobile Business Components any app or wallet can be enabled for payment, access and ticketing and transit functionality.

Mobile payments gadgets. Samsung, LG and many other vendors showed gadgets that also can be used to pay with in store. Just swipe your NFC watch or wristband at the POS-terminal to make the payment.