Released: March 21, 2006

Ring up my bill, please

Source: By Eric Dash and Ken Belson, New York Times

Roy Peek of Atlanta had about $40, three credit cards and a debit card in his wallet. But to pay for a Coke and a slice of pizza here at a Philips Arena concession stand, he whipped out his cellphone.

“With this, I don’t have to hurry, I don’t have to stop at an ATM.,” said Mr. Peek, shortly after tapping the device against a coaster-size terminal that flashed lights and beeped as it billed his credit card account.

He is one of about 150 consumers who can use specially equipped mobile phones inside the arena as part of a study by a group of payment and wireless companies. “Once I’m hungry, I am going to use my phone for food,” Mr. Peek said.

The promise of phones that double as digital wallets is not new. Consumers in many Asian and European countries have bought everything from convenience store trinkets to subway tickets using their mobile handsets for years. But the idea has largely been a gadget geek’s fantasy here in the United States.

Only recently have American banks and wireless companies begun developing mobile payment products. Now, the next wave of technology could wash ashore within two years.

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