The next version of the Chrome web browser for Android will include support for NFC tags, making it possible for developers to integrate tag reading, writing and data exchange directly into websites and web apps to improve the user experience and add new functionality — without the need for a user to download an app... More
Mastercard is working with transport operators on the development of new biometric ticketing solutions that will make it possible for passengers to be automatically identified as they board a service, the payments network has revealed... More
KNOWLEDGE CENTRE: Combining NFC and RFID tags with blockchain technology makes it possible to create secure, end-to-end global supply chains that eliminate the risk of counterfeit goods entering the system, reduce management complexity and increase transparency, STMicroelectronics explains in a new white paper now available to download from the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More
Las Vegas restaurant Makers & Finders is the first to use a new service that lets diners scan a QR code on their printed bill to pay for their meal with Apple Pay... More
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has received NFC Forum certification for the ST25R3916, a high performance NFC universal device and EMVCo reader that is fully compliant with ISO 14443A/B, ISO 15693, ISO 18092, Felica and NFC Forum standards... More
Payments made via Apple Pay now account for around 5% of global card transactions, according to research firm Bernstein — and are set to represent 10% of all card transactions by 2025... More
Global contactless transaction values will reach nearly US$6tn in 2024, up from US$2tn today, Juniper Research forecasts... More
South Dakota State University students, faculty and staff are now able to add their MyJacks ID cards to their iPhone or Apple Watch and then use their mobile phone or wearable to make on-campus payments and gain access to residence halls and other facilities... More
Virgin Voyages is to issue contactless wristbands to its cruise passengers, enabling them “to not only unlock their cabin with ease, but also to explore all of the thrills and great experiences that Scarlet Lady and the rest of our fleet will have to offer”... More
A solution that uses NFC shelf-edge labels to let passengers self-checkout and pay for their shopping using their mobile phone is undergoing pilot testing at Munich Airport... More
“We had a tremendously successful launch in India from which we learnt a lot of features, and we are bringing that and we are revamping our payments products globally,” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed... More
‘Low KYC’ norm to help mobile wallets retain their customers — Economic Times — “In a move set to bring relief to scores of mobile wallet firms such as Paytm, PhonePe, Amazon Pay and their several million users, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will allow wallet service providers to continue operating their millions of non-compliant know-your-customer (KYC) accounts which earlier faced cancellation… An estimated over 200m mobile wallets ran the risk of being cancelled by the regulators, once the deadline to upgrade their non-compliant accounts to ‘full KYC’ accounts expires on February 29.”
The digitalization of payments and currency: Some issues for consideration — The Federal Reserve — “Given the dollar’s important role, it is essential that we remain on the frontier of research and policy development regarding CBDC [Central Bank Digital Currency]. Like other central banks, we are conducting research and experimentation related to distributed ledger technologies and their potential use case for digital currencies, including the potential for a CBDC. We are collaborating with other central banks as we advance our understanding of central bank digital currencies.”
7-Eleven is piloting a cashierless store concept at its US headquarters that uses technology developed in-house to let employees check in to the 700sqft store, shop and then exit — without needing to visit a physical checkout... More
Evidence of a new feature that will make it possible to use an iPhone or an Apple Watch as a car key has been spotted in the first beta version of iOS 13.4, which was released to developers yesterday... More
Calypso Networks Association (CNA) and OSPT Alliance have begun work on the creation of a single, global open standard for transit ticketing that will leverage “the unique strengths” of both the Calypso and the Cipurse standards... More
Transportation ticketing specialist Corethree has introduced a service that enables transit operators to let passengers tap low-cost NFC tags placed on board a bus or other public transport service to activate and validate a prepaid mobile ticket... More
One in 14 people ‘no longer carry a wallet’ — Yahoo Finance — “One in 14 people say they no longer carry a wallet, a survey has found. Some 7% no longer take a wallet out and about with them, while a fifth (20%) said that if they were to look in their wallet it would not contain any cash.”
Turbulent entry into the payments market: Apple Pay requires high commission in Israel — Calcalist (translation) — “Apple representatives have begun a round of meetings with banks and credit companies to formulate agreements to begin Apple Pay’s operations in the country… Some players were surprised to find that Apple requires a fairly high fee estimated at 0.15% to 0.25% of any transaction made through Apple Pay… ‘It is disproportionate, and constitutes an exploitation of its status and power,’ says a source close to the talks between the parties.”
Jameson Irish Whiskey’s annual St Patrick’s Day limited-edition bottles this year include NFC tags that customers can tap to design their own custom label and enter a competition to win a personalised limited-edition bottle... More