Telefonica Czech Republic has launched a NFC trial in a Prague supermarket, ahead of a more widespread commercial launch of the technology next year. The operator’s trial will run for the next six months and is intended to gather data on the actual behaviour of customers making mobile payments ahead of the operator’s planned launch next year. The trial will involve 200 of the operator’s subscribers who are also customers of Citibank and the same number who are with Komercni banka. The participants will be able to use their NFC-enabled handsets in four Globus supermarkets during the course of the trial. Three of the supermarkets are in Prague and one in Pilsen.

The payment application used in the trial is supplied by Visa, although Telefonica O2’s electronic wallet will carry other cards including the PilsenCard which is used by that city’s residents and visitors for transport and admission to cultural events. Samsung Star 5230 NFC-enabled handsets will be used by participants in the trial.

Plans for a mid-2011 trial were announced by Telefonica Czech Republic earlier this year but now, along with the trial's actual launch, the operator has said it will launch commercially in 2012.

Richard Walitza (pictured), NFC and financial services manager of Telefonica Czech Republic, said in addition to Visa and Pilsencard, the operator’s electronic wallet will also carry other loyalty and entry cards. “That is why we developed our O2 wallet application that will enable customers to move the functionality from their plastic credit cards to mobile handsets.”