Vodafone Group has formed a partnership with Munich-based Wirecard for the introduction of its mobile payment service, due to be rolled out internationally from this year.

The partnership covers "the creation, implementation and operation of all technical mobile payment processes as well as issuing virtual and physical co-branded Visa cards," says Wirecard.

"Wirecard is a highly competent technology partner to implement our mobile payment service," says Dr Christian Wirtz, Vodafone's group director for mcommerce. "We want to use our mobile wallet to offer customers contactless payments using their smartphones. We also attach great value to innovation for both our mobile offering and also for additional value-added services."

Vodafone is also working with Gemalto and CorFire on its move into the mobile payments market. Wirecard announced mobile payments deals with Deutsche Telekom in August 2012, with Singapore transit card issuer EZ-Link in September 2012 and with Telefónica O2 Germany in October 2012.

Wirecard is exhibiting at Mobile World Congress 2013, on stand 7F03.