Fiserv Inc. unit First Data said it plans to introduce its SoftPOS technology — developed with Visa and Samsung Electronics — that allows smartphones and tablets to accept contactless payments without the addition of new hardware, according to a press release. 

The SoftPOS will allow merchants to accept payments on the devices using near-field communication-enabled technology embedded inside wearables, smartphones, key fobs or other devices. 

First Data said it will launch the SoftPOS system at the IFA 2019 conference, the largest technology show in Europe, and later launch a pilot program in Poland before expanding the product for sale in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific markets. 

"As contactless payments grow in popularity it is important that merchants are able to enable these payments on mobile devices," John Gibbons, executive vice president and head of EMEA at Fiserv, said in the press release. "SoftPOS has been designed to meet the current and future needs of consumers and entrepreneurs and will change the way people make daily payments, facilitating the convenient, quick and secure processing of contactless payments."

Cover image courtesy of Fiserv.