CardSmith and wireless transactions provider Apriva, Scottsdale, Ariz., have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver a secure, mobile payment system integrated with CardSmith’s campus card platform.

Institutions will now be able to deploy wireless vending and mobile payment acceptance around campus. This eliminates the cost, security and maintenance requirements associated with traditional ethernet and data jack infrastructures.

The combined offering supports campus ID card and Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit card transactions.

Students and other cardholders will have more flexibility in using their campus cards to make purchases, while merchants and institutions will have a cost-effective vehicle to tap into the evolving mobile commerce ecosystem, Lawrence added.

System integration is underway and the companies expect to roll out the first wave of joint wireless payment solutions in the second half of 2012.