NTT DoCoMo Inc. announced Thursday a new partnership with MasterCard Worldwide that will enable its smartphone users to make contactless electronic payments in other countries starting sometime after next April.
With the contactless payment system, a smartphone or other device with an embedded IC chip can be waved over a sensor to make payments at shops or trains stations.
The most common device of this kind in Japan is East Japan Railway Co.'s Suica commuter pass. Such devices to date are unavailable to Japanese consumers for use overseas.