Mobile wallets, which are big in Japan, may be coming to the United States.

Near-field communication, which enables mobile phones to make wireless payments and other transactions, will be used for convenience in fast food restaurants and mass-transit ticketing, according to IMS Research's "NFC: the Road to Mass Market" report.

IMS cited Visa research from January 2007 which found that more than six in 10 consumers in the US ages 25 to 34 would want to use their mobile phones to make payments.

“Transport for London is currently trialling ‘touchpoints’ that, when in close proximity to an NFC-enabled mobile phone, transmit local maps, directions and real-time travel advice to the handset," said John Devlin, IMS Research Director, in a statement.

"Value-added services such as mobile coupons, identification/authentication and peer-to-peer connections can also be implemented in this way,” Mr. Devlin said.