Coffee giant Starbucks has launched its mobile payment app in Germany and France to allow its customers to make payments using a mobile version of their Starbucks card... More
Archive for January 2015
US consumers call for more retailers to accept mobile payments
More than half (53%) of US consumers think it is important for more retailers to install devices that enable them to pay with their smartphones, a Verifone survey conducted by Wakefield Research has revealed, with 84% prepared to use their smartphones to pay for small and medium purchases such as a cup of coffee or a pair of jeans... More
Verifone and Samsung to offer Android mPOS
Verifone and Samsung have announced a global partnership to deliver Android-based mobile point of sale (mPOS) solutions to multi-lane and enterprise retailers... More
Wintrust lets customers withdraw cash with their mobile phones
Wintrust Financial is updating its fleet of 190 ATMs in Chicago to enable its mobile banking customers to withdraw cash by requesting money on their smartphone then scanning an on-screen QR code when they get to the ATM. More
The future of mobile payments at CES: Video now available
The key to mass market adoption of mobile payments will be the creation of a compelling consumer experience that incorporates both payments and value added services, the Future of Mobile Payments session at the International CES 2015, chaired by NFC World’s Sarah Clark, has found. More
Apple Pay set to go live in Canada?
Apple Pay could be available in Canada within the next two months and the company is already in talks with partners to launch the mobile payment service in the country, 9to5mac reports... More
Softcard lays off 60 staff in bid to cut costs
US carrier-owned mobile payments venture Softcard has laid off 60 employees out of an employee base of “hundreds” as part of an effort to “reduce costs and strengthen its business”... More
Line Pay launches in-app taxi service in Tokyo
Japanese instant messaging giant Line has launched a taxi service in Tokyo that lets users of its app summon a cab provided by Nihon Kotsu, the largest taxi limousine rental company in the country, and pay for it using Line Pay... More
Nedbank tests BLE mobile payments app
South Africa’s Nedbank is internally testing a proof-of-concept mobile payments app called Accolades that uses BLE beacons to connect customers to retailers as they enter the store... More
HyprKey unveils biometric mobile wallet add-on
A US startup is taking pre-orders for a biometrically secured mobile wallet, consisting of a payment app and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based “bio-sticker” attached to the back of the user’s phone... More
Audi unlocks car with NFC smartwatch
Audi has shown off a smartwatch that can be used to communicate with and unlock a car via NFC at the CES in Las Vegas... More
RedCritter launches classroom rewards with NFC
Business productivity management specialist RedCritter has unveiled a platform for schools that recognises, rewards and socialises students’ learning achievements via NFC and QR codes. More
Toshiba puts NFC on memory cards
Toshiba has added NFC to a SDHC memory card, allowing consumers to check the card’s contents by tapping it against their NFC phone instead of plugging it into a PC or digital camera... More
BMW offers contactless credit card that can unlock and start hire cars
BMW has partnered with MasterCard to offer an NFC-enabled contactless credit card that makes it possible to hire, unlock and operate a BMW or Mini from a car rental fleet that has more than 2,800 vehicles and more than 350,000 users in the US, UK, Germany and Austria... More
Kontakt.io puts on $1m beacon hunt at CES
Beacon solution provider Kontakt.io is hosting a Bluetooth-based treasure hunt with a million dollar prize at the CES in Las Vegas... More
Nine Polish banks to launch HCE mobile payments
Nine Polish banks are to launch host card emulation (HCE) based mobile payments services using Visa’s cloud-based payment specifications “from early this year,” allowing their customers to make contactless payments using NFC-enabled Android smartphones... More
Circle adds NFC to Bitcoin payments app
Bitcoin wallet provider Circle has added NFC to its Android app to enable users to make payments using the digital currency with a tap of their smartphone... More
LoopPay signs up OEMs to embed contactless tech into more products
Mobile payments startup LoopPay has announced deals with XPal Power and Trident Case to embed its Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) mag stripe emulation technology into a broad range of products including smartphones, wearables, cases and accessories, with “many other partners in the pipeline.”... More
VivaLnk shows wearable NFC thermometer
Digital tattoo inventor Vivalnk is to launch an NFC-based wearable thermometer that adheres to skin and provides accurate temperature measurements directly to a smartphone without requiring a battery... More
Broadcom unveils NFC chip for cars
Broadcom has introduced an automotive-grade NFC controller designed to be built into vehicles to simplify set-up for mobile device connectivity and enable solutions such as keyless entry... More