VeriFone unveils CDMA-based wireless payment solution in US

New Delhi: VeriFone Inc (www.verifone.com), the worldwide leader in electronic payment solutions, today announced the first-ever code division multiple access (CDMA)-based wireless deployment of a POS payment solution in the US. The state of Wisconsin is using VeriFone Omni 3600 wireless payment terminals to process electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards at Fondy Farmers' Market.

The Hunger Task Force, the creator of the Fondy Farmers' Market, worked with eFunds, a leading transaction processing company based in Scottsdale, Arizona; VeriFone, the world's leading payment solutions provider; the US Department of Agriculture; and the Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services to bring this project on line. The Fondy Farmers' Market is now able to accept electronic food stamp benefits in exchange for fresh fruits and vegetables. It is now easy for low-income families to include healthful foods into their diets.

Fondy Food Center executive director Young Kim says: "Low-income families lack access to fresh produce for a number of reasons. Stores in the central-city do not offer sufficient produce at affordable costs, and many of these families do not have cars — making it difficult to travel outside the city to buy produce. The Fondy Farmers' Market is a solution to this problem."

Prior to this installation in Wisconsin, all US wireless POS transactions were performed on cellular digital packet data (CDPD) networks. Using latest industry-standard CDMA-based networks, wireless transactions are completed more quickly, securely and across greater geographic regions than before.

"Open air and other traditional markets are no longer off limits to those benefiting from card-based EBT," says Bob Cook, vice-president, government and healthcare markets, VeriFone. "By using robust CDMA-based wireless technology, the state of Wisconsin is delivering fast, secure and reliable EBT transactions to its beneficiaries." VeriFone provides electronic benefits transfer (EBT) solutions for 50 of the 53 United States and territories.

This solution incorporates the VeriFone Omni 3600 portable wireless terminal, CDMA 2000 1X wireless technology utilising TCP/IP over a data-packet network, and eFunds developed POS software and transaction processing. The solution delivers ''always-on'' connectivity, which eliminates the time-consuming dial-up process on every transaction and results in transactions being processed in less then five seconds.

"This is the most advanced technology available," says Cheryl Campbell, vice-president of government solutions at eFunds. "We are excited to work with Hunger Task Force, Fondy and VeriFone to make buying fresh food convenient for both the shoppers and the farmers. The process is seamless and incredibly user-friendly. We look forward to the possibility of bringing this technology to farmers' markets across the city, state and nation."