Better than doubling your pleasure® with Doublemint® gum, US Bank and Visa are set to double their marketability and the ease of use for international travelers as they reveal the FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature Card’s near field technology (NFT) that includes both Visa’s payWave chip and the EMV® (Europay, VISA, MasterCard®) microprocessor.

Technology now allows chips or microprocessors embedded within credit cards to securely communicate with point of purchase readers using a protected Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to complete a secure transaction. Within the United States, that technology has been embedded in a chip such as Visa’s payWave or MasterCard’s PayPass systems incorporate. Because the chip contains all information necessary to complete a transaction, just like is stored on your credit card’s magnetic strip, a consumer can tap or wave their credit card within about 4 inches of the secure card reader for purchase amounts of up to $25.

Meanwhile, outside the United States, many countries are using EMV technology with their credit cards and merchant payment readers to allow consumers to quickly conduct transactions of up to $25. Visa Europe projected earlier this month that contactless credit card users in the United Kingdom alone will reach 20 million by 2012. Worldwide, it is estimated over 1 billion people use cards with EMV technology.

For consumers who travel internationally, the FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature Card making use of both technologies is an incredible benefit, making travel overseas that much more convenient and safe while still being able to use the same credit card (and continue to collect its rewards) for purchases in the States.

Not only are RFID technologies secure, the FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature Card boasts a zero percent liability for unauthorized transactions. One of the reasons banks, merchants, and credit card issuing companies have touted in developing contactless payments is a desire to help the consumer be more safe than before. As more and more merchants have contactless payment options available, it reduces the chances of large amounts of cash on the premises and increases the number of customers paying with a card. The merchant becomes a less likely target for would-be thieves, protecting the international traveler in doing so.

So whether you are in New York or London, dashing down the street to get a quick breakfast as you begin your day is a possibility. No digging for cash as you stand in a checkout line. After grabbing breakfast, jumping on a bus, the subway, or on the tube to get where you are going can be accomplished with a quick wave of your FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature Card.

The dual contactless payment chip and EMV microprocessor is currently only available in FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature Card. However, Visa and Bankcorp are planning on extending the dual technologies to additional cards within the coming year.