Westpac New Zealand has announced it will trial mobile payments on Android phones using host card emulation technology. HCE allows the creation of digital wallets where credit and debit card details are stored securely in the cloud, allowing customers to pay using near field communications (NFC) technology on a contactless terminal without having the physical cards on them.Westpac New Zealand's chief product officer Shane Howell said the trial with 40 Westpac staff and customers aimed to have the technology more widely available for customers early next year. "This is the first of four key components we are looking to develop that will make up a digital wallet for Westpac customers," Howell said."The other components we are looking to incorporate are transport cards for buses and trains, loyalty programs such as Hotpoints, and potentially even forms of ID like a driver's license," he said.The technology is being developed with Carta Worldwide.