Will the iPhone 5 Have NFC? MasterCard Exec Hints at an Answer [VIDEO]

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In a recent interview, MasterCard's chief emerging payments officer dropped a hint about the yet-to-be announced iPhone 5: the next smartphone from Apple might include near field communication technology.

Fast Company's Austin Carr chatted with Ed McLaughlin from MasterCard about when payments via mobile devices might become the norm. Some platforms already allow for payments like this -- for example, Google Wallet, which is available only on Android and limited devices -- but the big question mark is the iPhone.

"I don't know of a handset manufacturer that isn't in process of making sure their stuff is PayPass ready," McLaughlin said. When asked if that included Apple, he stumbled: "Um, there are...like I say, [I don't know of] any handset maker out there. Now, when we have discussions with our partners, and they ask us not to disclose them, we don't."

Check out the video above to learn more. Is this a clear enough indication that we might see NFC-enabled iPhones soon? Do you think Apple could revolutionize mobile payments in the same way it changed digital music? Tell us what you think in the comments.