EU’s Vestager may investigate Apple Pay if there are formal complaints — Reuters — “EU regulators looked into Apple’s mobile payment service and found it was not market-dominant but they could review it again if they receive formal complaints, Europe’s antitrust chief said on Monday… Critics say that an NFC chip embedded in the Apple iPhone means that Apple Pay is automatically selected when an iPhone user pays for goods and services, barring rival payment methods.”
Archive for December 2018
Apple Pay goes live in Germany
Apple Pay is now live in Germany for customers of Deutsche Bank, Hanseatic Bank, HypoVereinsbank/UniCredit, Fidor Bank, Comdirect, N26 and Bunq... More
EU citizens report bugs in UK government NFC passport reading app
People taking part in the pilot test of an NFC app developed by the UK government to make it easy for EU citizens to apply for settled status following Brexit have reported a number of bugs, including multiple issues related to NFC passport scanning... More
NXP sets out its vision for the future of NFC payments
PARTNER NEWS: Combining convenience with security is the key to unlocking the next wave of NFC payments innovations, Sebastien Clamagirand, general manager of NXP’s payment and identification business, has told NFC World in an interview at the Trustech show in Cannes... More
Tesco lets shoppers self-checkout with their mobile phone at new Jack’s discount chain
Tesco spin-off Jack’s opens its doors with free mobile ‘Smart Shop’ app — Internet Retailing — “With the app, shoppers can scan the item’s barcode or shelf-front price code and then pay by simply tapping their phone on a self-service checkout terminal before leaving. The app also helps the shopper log what they have bought and how much they have paid.”
Brunei’s largest bank to use Rambus’ Token Service Provider platform to secure mobile payment transactions
PARTNER NEWS: Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), the largest bank in Brunei, is to use Rambus’ Token Service Provider platform to add security to its HCE mobile payments service... More
HID Global enables workers to log in with NFC mobile phones
HID Global unites high security authentication and convenience with its Crescendo Mobile smart card — HID Global — PARTNER NEWS — “The HID Crescendo Mobile solution provides organizations seeking to eliminate passwords with a solution that combines the high security of physical authenticators with the usability of a mobile solution. Crescendo Mobile works similarly to, and is compatible with, highly secure Crescendo smart cards; however, rather than inserting a separate device into a contact smart card reader, it connects to a desktop computer via an NFC (near field communication) reader or Bluetooth.”
Costa lets customers make payments with their coffee cups
The UK’s largest coffee shop chain has teamed up with Barclaycard to put a contactless payment chip in a reusable drinks cup, allowing customers to pay up to £30 anywhere contactless cards are accepted with just a tap of their cup.... More
Vancouver commuters ‘queue down the block’ for TransLink transit ticketing wristbands
People already scalping TransLink’s Compass Wristbands online — CTV News — “People ended up queuing up down the block when the wearable technology went on sale at 7:30 am, and it only took about three hours for TransLink to sell out. ‘I’ve gotta say, this is a little more than we expected,’ spokesperson Jill Drews said. ‘But it’s great. We’re glad people love the wristbands’.”
European Central Bank switches on low cost instant payments system
ECB goes live with pan-European instant payments — European Central Bank — “Target Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) uses central bank money to settle payments individually in less than 10 seconds… TIPS means consumers can make retail payments across Europe instantly, 24/7/365… The price per initiated transaction is set at €0.002 (US$0.0023) for the first two years of operation, with no charges for the first ten million payments settled on each TIPS account by the end of 2019.”
Paytm sets sights on US payments market
Paytm chief eyes dominance in Japanese market as ticket to US — MoneyControl — “After becoming an almost household name in India, digital payments major Paytm has set its sight on dominating the Japanese market, a development that its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma feels will be its ‘ticket’ to the US… ‘If we kill it in Japan, we will get the ticket to go to the big country,’ Sharma said.”
Target begins accepting NFC payments in San Francisco
Target appears to be testing in-store Apple Pay in San Francisco — 9to5Mac — “On Twitter this week, users have reported that they are able to check out with Apple Pay at a Target store in San Francisco, specifically the Metreon location. Users say that despite Target’s resistance to the feature in the past, the terminals at this San Francisco store are NFC-enabled and work with Apple Pay. Additionally, another user reports that they were able to use a contactless card at the same Target store during the self-checkout process.”
TransLink pilots wearable transit ticketing payment bands
Introducing Compass Wristbands — TransLink — “To help improve customer convenience, we’re introducing Compass Wristbands — a Compass Card that you wear on your wrist! We’re offering a limited release of 1,000 adult wristbands and 1,000 concession wristbands starting December 3… Tap in and out when travelling on transit and reload online, at a Compass vending machine, by phone or in person. Just like a Compass Card, you’ll pay a $6 refundable fee when you pick up your wristband.”
Contactless donation points go live across London
Mayor doubles street outreach team to help rough sleepers — Mayor of London — “The Tap London points are small, secure payment points that enable Londoners to make £3 (US$3.82) donations by card. 35 donation points will launch today with more than 90 appearing across the capital this winter. Today the Mayor launched the scheme at City Hall, where one of the building’s windows now has a donation point. The other donation points are located in busy areas around the capital.”
T-Mobile offers mobile banking service that supports Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
T-Mobile launches mobile banking solution T-Mobile Money, available now on Android and iOS — 9to5Google — “T-Mobile Money hasn’t been officially launched, but was discovered early thanks to its (likely unintended) addition to Google Pay’s list of US banks and credit card companies. Its official website, discovered by Domain Name Wire, went live today and has the full details of the interesting offering.”
Apple Pay goes live in Belgium and Kazakhstan
Apple Pay now available in Belgium and Kazakhstan — AppleInsider — “For the moment, Apple Pay is exclusive to BNP Paribas Fortis, along with its subsidiaries Hello Bank and Fintro, for both Mastercard and Visa-based cards… The support for Apple Pay in Kazakhstan has started with Eurasian Bank for Mastercard customers. Apple’s list of participating banks and credit issuers that support Apple Pay also includes ATFBank, Halyk Bank, Sberbank, Bank CenterCredit, and ForteBank.”