Samsung Pay now available in six continents, accelerating global expansion — Samsung — “Originally launched in South Korea on August 20, 2015, Samsung Pay has experienced significant global growth and is now available in six continents and 24 markets, including the latest market, South Africa… Samsung recently passed more than 1.3bn transactions globally.”
Archive for August 2018
Seattle sports teams use fingerprint biometrics to let fans prove their age and buy a beer
Clear partners with Seattle Seahawks, Sounders FC, & Mariners to launch biometrics payment & ID check initiative — Clear — “With approval from the State of Washington to replace a traditional ID check with biometric powered age validation, Clear members at CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field can buy food and drinks, and simultaneously prove that they are of legal age for alcohol purchases — all with just their fingerprints.”
Apple files NFC passport patent application
Document importation into secure element — USPTO — “The present disclosure describes embodiments in which a person may present identification information through a mobile device instead of presenting a traditional form of identification… In various embodiments, a mobile device includes a short-range communication interface (eg, a near-field communication (NFC) radio) and a secure element configured to store identification information of a user.”
Fitbit includes NFC payments in special edition Charge 3 fitness trackers
Fitbit launches Charge 3 — the number one fitness tracker, now better than ever — Fitbit — “Leave your wallet at home and use Charge 3 Special Edition devices to make easy and secure payments with Fitbit Pay contactless payments; supported by more than 100 financial institutions in 18 countries.”
Michael Kors releases Runway smartwatch with NFC payments
Runway ready — Michael Kors — “Our newest smartwatch: a storied style, now with Google Fit, heart rate tracking, mobile payments and swimproof capabilities. Customize the watch face or swap out the strap to make it your smartwatch, your way… Wave your wrist and go with Google Pay’s NFC technology.”
Kilchoman to add NFC tags to whisky bottle labels
Kilchoman NFC mobile marketing campaign outperforms traditional digital benchmarks; Campaign success leads to re-order — Thinfilm — “NFC generated a 6.5% engagement rate among consumers, outperforming more traditional digital marketing channels such as display, email, search, and social… Based on the success of the original campaign, Kilchoman will integrate Thinfilm’s NFC technology directly into the whisky bottle labels, eliminating the neck-tags.”
Sainsbury’s lets UK supermarket shoppers check out from their mobile phones
Skip the queue, scan and go: Sainsbury’s launches till-free shopping — Sainsbury’s — “In a UK supermarket first, Sainsbury’s is trialling new scan, pay and go technology that will enable customers in one of its busy London convenience stores to pay for products in-store using their smartphone… Using the latest version of the SmartShop app, customers visiting the Clapham North Station Local can use their smartphones to scan their shopping as they go and then pay for it through the app, from anywhere in the store, using Apple Pay.”
Amex tests wearable payments at the US Open
American Express backs card members and fans with innovative benefits at the 2018 US Open Tennis Championships — American Express — “To enhance the overall end-to-end fan experience, American Express will launch new services such as the Amex Band, a contactless payment wristband that allows eligible Card Members to pay for purchases and unlock unique benefits with a tap of the band.”
Samsung includes NFC payments in new Galaxy Watch
Stay connected no matter where you are with the new Samsung Galaxy Watch — Samsung — “Galaxy Watch brings users all the benefits from the Galaxy ecosystem creating a seamless experience with SmartThings, Samsung Health, Samsung Flow, Samsung Knox, Samsung Pay, Bixby and with partnerships like Spotify and Under Armour.”
Japanese bank to roll out payment cards with built-in display and keypad
GMO Aozora Net Bank Ltd and Dynamics Inc introduce Japan’s first battery-powered interactive debit and cash card — Dynamics — “A consumer enters a pass code, known only to the consumer, into the keypad on the face of the card. The correct pass code turns the card on so that it can be used in any swipe, tap, or insertion reader via a magnetic stripe, contact or contactless EMV chip. Entering the correct pass code also activates the card’s display to show the consumer’s payment card number.”
General Motors lets Buick drivers pay for fuel from their dashboard
Buick delivers peace of mind at the gas pump — General Motors — “A new update to Marketplace brings ExxonMobil’s pay for fuel functionality right to the infotainment screen of eligible Buick vehicles… The platform also automatically syncs drivers to their ExxonMobil Speedpass+ app account, and drivers accumulate rewards points with each purchase. The new service is available at more than 11,000 Exxon or Mobil stations across the United States.”
Three in ten iPhone owners now use Apple Pay
Apple Pay increasingly central to iPhone — Loup Ventures — “We estimate that Apple Pay now has over 252 million users, which equates to 31% of the active iPhone base… Adoption of Apple Pay continues to accelerate exponentially overseas compared to the US, with 85% of users being international vs 15% in the US… With the continued expansion into new markets and new partnerships with banks, we expect transaction growth of 200% over the next 12 months.”
Facebook approaches banks for Messenger bot banking
Facebook taps banks, but for chatbots not purchase data like Google — Techcrunch — “Account linking enables people to receive real-time updates in Facebook Messenger where people can keep track of their transaction data like account balances, receipts, and shipping updates… The idea is that messaging with a bank can be better than waiting on hold over the phone — and it’s completely opt-in. We’re not using this information beyond enabling these types of experiences — not for advertising or anything else.”
Google releases Android 9 Pie with added NFC, secure element, TEE and biometric security
Google has begun rolling out Android 9 ‘Pie’, the latest version of its mobile operating system which includes support for GlobalPlatform’s Open Mobile API, a new BiometricPrompt API, and added NFC and Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) security techniques... More
Microsoft rolls out support for Masterpass payments
Microsoft Pay is now available with Masterpass — Microsoft — “US-based consumers using the latest Microsoft Edge browser on Windows 10 devices can sign in to their Microsoft account and use Microsoft Pay to make secure purchases wherever Masterpass is accepted online. More broadly, Microsoft Pay allows for a seamless and convenient consumer experience within the Microsoft ecosystem, including paying bills in Outlook, and buying goods or services in apps or bots.”
Fossil launches Gen 4 smartwatches with Google Pay support
Fossil unveils its most tech-packed touchscreen smartwatch to date — Fossil — “Exclusively compatible with Google Pay (transit and pay currently available in select countries), NFC prevents users from having to pull out their card every time they need to complete a transaction. With a few taps, your card is ready on watch to streamline any checkout experience. Security is an obvious consideration, and users set up a unique lock code on their watch to help protect from any identity or data theft.”
Apple Pay Cash gets top rating for P2P payments privacy and security
Why Apple Pay is the highest-rated mobile P2P payment service — Consumer Reports — “In our first-ever test-based ratings of P2P mobile services, CR rated Apple Pay the highest overall, with excellent or very good marks in the key consumer-protection measures of payment authentication and data privacy. Apple’s overall rating was significantly higher than for the other services we tested: Venmo, Square’s Cash App, Facebook P2P Payments in Messenger, and Zelle.”
Starbucks backs plan to create regulated digital asset platform that will support digital currency payments in stores
Intercontinental Exchange announces Bakkt, a global platform and ecosystem for digital assets — Intercontinental Exchange — “Starbucks will play a pivotal role in developing practical, trusted and regulated applications for consumers to convert their digital assets into US dollars for use at Starbucks,” said Maria Smith, vice president, partnerships and payments for Starbucks. “As a leader in Mobile Pay to our more than 15 million Starbucks Rewards members, Starbucks is committed to innovation for expanding payment options for our customers.”
Sneaker Con uses NFC tags to verify the authenticity of traded trainers
Sneaker Con bets NFC will keep fakes off its new shoe-selling app — Engadget — “Every time you buy a pair from the Sneaker Con application, it’ll come with a physical tag attached to the shoes that features NFC. This Legit Tag comes loaded with information about the sneaker you’re getting (including the model name, size, condition and SKU number). To see that, all you have to do is open the Sneaker Con app and tap the authentication tab.”
Adidas Soccer uses NFC to link special edition trainers to Spotify
Adidas celebrates Atlanta and the 2018 Major League Soccer All-Star Game presented by Target with speciality Speedfactory AM4MLS lifestyle shoe — Adidas — “The AM4MLS shoe will be the first of its kind to bring the sound of the city to life through an embedded NFC chip enabling the owner to access a Spotify playlist curated by Rich The Kid. Deeply rooted in Atlanta’s culture, the 21 songs aim to pay tribute to the city’s rich music history and its influence in artists across the country.”