The Wall Street Journal reported today that AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA are pulling back the reins on an NFC-based payment system and instead is pursuing partnerships with Visa and MasterCard. It’s a wise move because building out an infrastructure for a stand-alone mobile payment system is a costly endeavor. More importantly, though, it indicates the carriers understand that there’s little incentive for consumers to create an entirely new account for purchases rather than use the credit and debit card accounts they already have. The mobile wallet still has some big obstacles to overcome, but tying it to existing accounts is a step in the right direction.