Mobile Payment

The widespread usage of new telecommunication technologies implies the demand on payment via Internet since the ’90s. First, these solutions were applied only by pioneer users, while average men still chose traditional payment methods such as payment by cash, cheque, or bank transfer. In the latest decade, the notable improvement of mobile communications allowed the provision of customized services. A new payment method has appeared which is called mobilepayment. Consequently, increasing number of banks provide access to their services via mobile equipment. Reliable network security is an essential prerequisite for the expansion of the rapidly growing world of electronic payment. Public key infrastructure (PKI) offers the capabilities needed to provide this security. Establishing trust in a wireless public key infrastructure (WPKI) is crucial for the success of applications that will exploit the opportunities created by handheld wireless devices. This trust is based on the reliability of the technology but also on a carefully implemented system of laws, policies, standards, and procedures. The development of trusted electronic transactions is motivated by legislation. The EU adopted a legislative framework to guarantee the security and acceptance of electronic signatures in 1999. The U.S. adopted legislation for the recognition of electronic signatures in national and global trade in June 2000 (Sievers, 2000). This article deals with mobile payment and mobile banking services and focuses particularly on the mobile side of the system. First, we introduce the technological background necessary for developing m-services, and we define the m-payment reference model. After that, the differences between chip-card and software based implementations will be presented. Finally, we conclude the article and summarize the main terms used in the article.