Isis, the mobile payments venture that is teaming up with AT&T, Verizion, and T-Mobile to bring NFC to the US, is piloting its program in Austin, Texas in 2012. While NFC adoption has begun to pick up in the rest of the world, it has been slow to become popular in the US for a number of reasons, mainly the lack of compatible hardware.

Isis will attempt to change that as it pilots its program in Austin and Salt Lake City in 2012. But will retailers to adopt this technology? As it stands, NFC payments will affect retailers similarly as contactless credit card payments available from Mastercard and Visa today (e.g., PayPass and payWave). To be successful, Isis and other mobile payments groups will have to focus on the marketing benefits of mobile payments, such as loyalty programs, mobile coupon opportunities, and mobile advertising.

Software Advice, an Austin-based retail software consultancy, had provided an overview of how it thinks Isis can spearhead adoption for this new mobile retail technology, including:

• Spreading the word via conferences and festivals
• Working together with the University of Texas and the Austin Technology Incubator
• Having the food truck scene adopt NFC
• Work with high-end supermarkets such as Whole Foods
• Work with local merchants in trendy neighborhoods such as Austin’s “SoCo”