Softcard brings mobile payments to Windows Phones

Apple Pay may still be getting all of the headlines as it starts rolling out, probably because it’s a platform that didn’t previously exist, but there are still other options on the market for folks on different operating systems. Softcard, for example, has been around for iOS and Android devices for a while now, and it’s already supported by NFC-based mobile payment systems around the United States. That’s in addition to Google Wallet, which arguably helped pave the way for these systems in the first place. Now, Softcard has a Windows Phone application.

Apple Pay may be dominating the mobile wallet headlines, but now Windows Phone users can start making wireless payments at NFC retail terminals. Check out the Windows Phone store and you’ll find the Softcard app, which enables tap-to-pay at the same 200,000 places that new iPhone owners are using for payments, provided merchants have enabled Softcard for payments. Obviously, you’ll need a Windows Phone handset with an NFC chip and enhanced SIM card inside, and the software also requires Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 to be installed on your phone. If you have both of those, you’re all set to use the Softcard app. The app works more like Google Wallet than Apple Pay: Without a fingerprint reader available, Software uses a PIN to unlock your digital wallet. Once unlocked, you simply tap your Windows Phone to the NFC payment terminal to complete a transaction.