NFC World has introduced a new service that provides product managers, business developers and marketing specialists with a simple and cost-effective way to identify and connect with potential customers and channel partners around the world... More
Google has extended the NFC capabilities of its Pixel smartphones with the addition of support for ‘NFC-F’ FeliCa NFC mobile payments in Japanese versions of its new Pixel 3 smartphones... More
Standard Chartered has announced that it is working on a new type of payments solution that “could revolutionise the way corporates communicate with banks for financing or payments.”... More
Australia’s Commonwealth Bank is to pilot a new type of ‘smart money’ that can be pre-programmed with a set of conditions that define what it can be spent on, who it can be spent by and when it can be spent... More
Alipay has warned customers that have linked their accounts to their Apple ID to lower their transaction limits, Reuters reports, due to hackers who “have taken an unknown amount of money from accounts using stolen Apple Inc IDs.”... More
Amazon is entering the in-store payments market in India with the launch of ‘Amazon Smile’ QR codes that will enable shoppers to make purchases in shops... More
Visa has developed a custom two-note ‘chirp’, vibration and screen animation that can be triggered whenever a Visa payment is made on a digital device, Bloomberg reports... More
Idemia and JCB partner to launch Google Pay in Japan — Idemia — “Users will be able to make contactless mobile payments in store using their JCB branded credit, debit, and prepaid cards enrolled in their Google Pay, at places such as convenience stores, supermarkets, drug stores and other shops where QuicPay [JCB’s contactless payment product] is accepted… It allows not only JCB, but also its issuing and processing partners to integrate with Google Pay and offer real-time enrolment, provisioning and tokenization capabilities.”
Hayden Cox and Westpac have teamed up to create wearable technology accessories that you’ll actually want to wear — Vogue — “The five designs include a convertible and waterproof two-in-one Band and Chain; a Slimline Keeper to add to your watch or fitness band; an ultra-minimal Incognito Pin ‘brooch-like’ set that includes four unique toppers; an anti-fashion late 70’s-inspired Nostalgia Pin; and an ‘out of site’ and internal-facing iron/sew on Centsitive Patch.”
Four NFC Forum technical specifications speed and enable new NFC services — NFC Forum — “The Connection Handover Technical Specification 1.4 allows users to define additional specific services when two devices are paired together using other wireless communication technologies, such as Bluetooth or WLAN by a tap of an NFC-enabled device. The Personal Health Device Communication (PHDC) Technical Specification 1.2 defines the exchange of ISO/IEEE 11073 messages often used for personal healthcare devices such as heart, blood pressure and glucose monitors. Also, updates were made to the NFC Digital Protocol Technical Specification 2.1 and NFC Controller Interface (NCI) Technical Specification 2.1.”
GlobalPlatform enhances secure element deployment for payment-enabled wearables — GlobalPlatform — “Wearables such as smart rings and smart wristbands are bridging the gap between simple cards and feature-rich smartphones by enabling consumers to pay, unlock and travel with a tap,” comments Gil Bernabeu, technical director of GlobalPlatform. “This new configuration standardizes all of this, saving implementers time and money, increasing revenue opportunities and enriching the experience for consumers.”
Bank of America unveils new mobile capabilities — Bank of America — “Bank of America today announced that it is introducing a new feature that will allow clients to move seamlessly between the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Merrill Edge and US Trust mobile apps without having to re-authenticate… The new app-linking feature will be available at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Merrill Edge today and at US Trust in November.”
Pointing the finger at biometric card misconceptions — Mastercard — “Introduced in 2017, the Mastercard biometric card has been piloted in Africa, Europe and the Middle East with additional countries being added this year… We are working on a contactless solution to be ready in early 2019.”
Tap the past to preserve the future — National Trust for Scotland — “We’ve created beautiful replicas of a couple of the Trust’s most famous artefacts — to bring contactless to two of our historic locations. The replicas include a 200-year-old bust of Robert Burns at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire, and a historical painting of Colonel William Gordon at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. Visitors can now simply tap their card on the artworks to make a £2 donation to the Trust and help preserve Scottish heritage for generations to come.”
Apple Pay is ‘Coming Soon’ in Saudi Arabia according to Apple — The Apple Post — “Apple has announced within an update to its website on Friday that Apple Pay is ‘coming soon’ in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Payments Network (Mada), a major payment system in Saudi Arabia, has also confirmed that it will soon introduce support for Apple Pay.”
H&M and Klarna partner to elevate the modern shopping experience for consumers — H&M Group — “H&M and Klarna will further integrate H&M’s digital and physical stores to give customers a seamless, personalised and engaging shopping experience no matter where, when and how they shop… This will include frictionless instore, mobile and online payments, simplified deliveries and returns and the flexibility to decide how and when to pay including the popular ‘try before you buy’ pay later service.”
CIMB is first in Malaysia to bring QR acceptance from six mobile wallets on one payment terminal — CIMB Bank — “The six mobile wallet partners to be accepted on CIMB terminal are Alipay, Touch & Go Digital, Boost, KiplePay, Mcash, and Vcash. These six mobile wallets have a combined estimated customer base of about 4.5 million in Malaysia and 520 million registered mainland Chinese users.”
Taiwan Cooperative Bank completed Taiwan’s first standardized QR code payment in partnership with Visa — Visa — “By adopting the EMV QR Code Specification, as supported by Taiwan’s two large domestic payment switches, consumers can enjoy a fast, convenient and secure payment experience. The specifications are intended to be globally interoperable; and with the right mobile application local consumers as well as overseas travellers will be able to use the same QR code to make payments everywhere the specifications have been adopted.”
EMV card-on-file payment tokenization is set to both reduce online fraud and deliver a range of benefits to merchants but implementation will not be straightforward, Rambus explains in a new paper that sets out the advantages of using a token gateway to simplify the integration and management process... More
PARTNER NEWS: HID Global is increasing investment in its NFC-based Trusted Tag brand protection service and expanding its network of solution providers around the world... More