Following a one-year pilot programme run by the Hungarian Mobile Wallet Association, Magyar Telekom, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, has launched a mobile wallet service called Telekom MobilTarca.  And the operator’s two local rivals — Vodafone and Telenor — are keen to follow.

For payment, subscribers can use a virtual MasterCard debit card issued by the country’s OTP Bank with their NFC-based handsets at over 38,000 contactless terminals across the country.

The MobilTarca app will run on more than 30 devices by the end of the year, including ones from Samsung, Sony, LG and Alcatel, according to a statement by the company.

Users will have to download the wallet from the Google Play Store and apply for the mobile bankcard through OTP’s internet banking platform.

Additional features of the wallet include an NFC loyalty card by SuperShop, a popular scheme in the country, and the ability to store event tickets.

“As a leader in innovation in Hungary’s telecoms market we are glad to offer the mobile wallet to our customers since we see that there is a demand rising for such innovative solutions which make life easier,” said Magyar Telekom CEO Christopher Mattheisen.

Vodafone said it is also working with its strategic partners on a wallet launch. The operator has scheduled internal tests for December and plans a service launch in the first quarter of 2015.

Telenor has completed a pilot of its mobile wallet, which was positively received by customers, it said. It will make an effort to launch “in the shortest possible time”.

The Hungarian Mobile Wallet Association coordinated a year-long pilot to ready the service for launch.