NFC technology is included in a range of BlackBerry ® 7 smartphones. It can be used to easily set up data transfers, add contacts to BlackBerry ® Messenger (BBM™), or synch up with a BlackBerry ® Music Gateway. But it can make your life easier in many different ways, as demonstrated today by CIBC and Rogers with help from Canadian Olympic medalist and triathlete, Simon Whitfield. Simon made the first mobile credit card transaction at Tim Horton’s, where he purchased a coffee with his BlackBerry ® smartphone.

Here’s a quick video demonstrating how it works:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

This convenient feature is being rolled out in Canada first by our partners CIBC and Rogers. Starting November 16th, the CIBC Mobile Payment™ app will be ready for download and you can start using it to pay for coffee, groceries and other everyday purchases. Simply hold your BlackBerry smartphone up to any contactless payment terminals in merchants across Canada, and your purchase will be made instantly.

The app will be available on two smartphones on the Rogers wireless network – the BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone. It will also require a Rogers’ suretap™ SIM card, as these devices have the ability to support secure contactless payments.

If you’re in Canada, check out Rogers Redboard to learn how to get started. This is just the beginning for NFC mobile payments and a glimpse into what you can look forward to in the future. Would you ditch your wallet and use your smartphone to pay for purchases? Let us know in the comments below.