BARCELONA, SPAIN - At a survey conducted at the recent GSMA Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, industry experts predicted widespread adoption of NFC mobile payments for U.S. consumers is still several years away, Mobile Payments Today reports.

The survey, conducted by Sybase 365, a subsidiary of mobile message and mobile commerce provider Sybase Inc., reported that 81% of respondents said NFC mobile payments would become commonplace in up to five years, with less than 10% responding that widespread adoption would occur within the next year.

"Mobile payments are arguably the leading topic of discussion in the mobile commerce ecosystem," said Sybase 365 President John Sims.

Among respondents, 38% said security would be the leading obstacle to consumer adoption of mobile payments, while an equal number said they believed coordination among key mobile commerce stakeholders would expedite and promotion adoption. Sims agreed.

"Material advances for mobile payments will only come about when banks, operators and retailers can converge on a business model and, with it, true industry interoperability leading to a widely embraced mobile payments system," Sims said.

Respondents split over whom they thought would drive widespread adoption, with 26% saying mobile operators will lead the way, 24% believing banks will drive adoption, and 19% responding companies like Amazon, Paypal, or Groupon would foster adoption.