NTT DoCoMo Inc. said Tuesday it will start a service on Dec. 1 that will let holders of a popular credit card make purchases through their mobile phones.
The service, to be offered under the brand name iD, will be initially available to Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co. credit card customers. The credit card company, the country's second-largest, has a business tieup NTT DoCoMo's credit card unit.
To use the service, NTT DoCoMo said cardholders must first download a special application to their DoCoMo Osaifu-Keitai mobile phones, which are equipped with electronic wallet capabilities.
Mobile phone users can then make credit card purchases by waving the handset in front of special readers at stores. No signature or PIN numbers will be required for purchases under 10,000, yen DoCoMo said.
If customers lose their phones or they are stolen, they can call a hotline to immediately lock the phone. They can also set a password authorizing purchases only when the password is entered.