Kona unveils Kona Money for digital gift cards and mobile payments

South Korean smart card provider Kona has unveiled Kona Money, a mobile payment service that integrates gift cards and allows for purchases to be made at the point of sale using NFC, QR code or barcode scanning. The service is currently in its beta stage with “some of the renowned banks and retail chains” in its domestic market, Kona told NFC World. Its main purpose is to allow retailers to add and sell their own gift cards to users, who are then able to purchase gift cards on the platform and send them to others.