AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Japan-based JCB International Co. will launch a pilot project in Amsterdam that will use short-range wireless technology to provide contactless credit-payment schemes, according to a news release.

In the first phase of the program, nearly 100 cardmembers in Amsterdam will be supplied with a Nokia mobile phone that's equipped with Philips' NFC chips and loaded with the JCB's payment application. Cardmembers will then be able to pay selected merchants in and around the city's World Trade Center by waving their mobile phones at contactless payment terminals.

The pilot is designed to evaluate technological aspects and operational feasibility, including customer ease-of-use. It will be the first contactless credit-payment scheme using a mobile phone with an NFC chip in Europe.

The project, expected to launch in August, includes JCB partners CCV Holland, Gemalto, KPN, Nokia, PaySquare, Philips and ViVOtech.