US operators Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA are planning one of the county’s largest-ever mobile payments trials, according to sources at Bloomberg. The three operators have reportedly teamed with Barclays and credit card firm Discover Financial Services to test a system at stores in Atlanta and three other US cities that would let a consumer pay with the contactless ‘wave’ of a smartphone. The move is described as “the carriers’ biggest effort to spur mobile payments in the US,” and is seen as a major threat to Visa and MasterCard, the world’s two largest payment networks. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are understood to be equal partners in the venture, while T-Mobile will have a smaller stake. The three operators are reportedly now searching for a CEO to lead the initiative.

Bloomberg says that the payments service will be similar to those already available in countries such as Japan, Turkey and the UK, and would use contactless technology to complete purchases in stores. Payments would then be processed via Discover’s payments network, currently the fourth-biggest behind Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Barclays is thought to be the bank helping to manage the accounts, though neither Barclays nor Discover was prepared to comment directly on the story. Barclays spokesman Kevin Sullivan noted only that “facilitating mobile payments is a big part of Barclaycard’s strategy globally.” The people with knowledge of the venture did not say how much merchants may be charged per transaction or when the trial will start.