Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) and EZ-Link have partnered to launch a new mobile payments service for NFC-enabled smart phones.

Fresh on the heels of rival teleco Star Hub’s NFC wallet launch, SingTel’s new service enables users to make cashless payments by tapping their NFC-enabled handsets against contactless readers at over 20,000 EZ-Link payment points across Singapore, including taxis, supermarkets and fast food chains.

The service is available to NFC smart phone owners who purchase a special NFC-enabled SIM card from SingTel. New users do not have to pay a monthly subscription or activation charges to use the service, and as a bonus SingTel is giving all new users $5 of complementary credit in their EZ-Link purse, according to the company.

EZ-Link is also launching its own mobile application, which can be used on Android handsets to check transaction history and balances, top-up the EZ-Link purse with any debit or credit card over the air, and sign-up for Activate! – a free program that enables EZ-Link purse blocking and refunds in the event of a lost phone.

The EZ-Link mobile application can now be downloaded from the Google Play store.