Some 2,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons have been installed across London’s Gatwick Airport to provide an indoor navigation system and an augmented reality wayfinding service so that passengers can be shown directions in the camera view of their mobile device. More
Debit cards set to overtake cash in 2018, three years earlier than expected — Payments UK — “Rapid growth in the use of contactless cards means cash will be overtaken as Britain’s most frequently used payment method by the end of 2018… By 2018, when debit cards are forecast to overtake cash, 13.4 billion debit card payments are predicted, of which 4.6 billion (or one in three) are expected to be contactless.”
Digital, decisive and drone-ready: American Express commissioned study shows Gen Z’s customer experience expectations — American Express — “33% of Gen Z respondents have used a device specific mobile wallet (i.e. Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Android Pay) in the last three months, compared to only 22% of Gen Y.”
The EU Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA) is calling on the European Commission to define a policy framework ensuring minimal requirements for the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices along with the development of mandatory staged requirements for security and privacy to give stakeholders a “level playing field” in implementing trust into connected devices and IoT systems. More
Google and Stripe eye a slice of UPI pie in India — Economic Times — “Google is preparing to introduce its digital wallet, Android Pay, in India this year, anchoring the platform to the government-backed Unified Payments Interface as are other global companies including Stripe and WhatsApp… Google has started testing UPI on its Android Pay platform, said one person aware of the developments.”
PARTNER NEWS: A 10-page guide that explores how Samsung Pay works and its key benefits is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Bank of America enhances customer choice: Provides secure and reliable access to data — Bank of America — “Bank of America is making updates to its Security Center and working with multiple financial data aggregators to provide customers the ability to simply and securely connect data from their Bank of America accounts to third-party financial management applications.”
Phillips 66 unveils new mobile platform at Momentum Conference — P97 Networks — “The new platform will connect retail fueling consumers to Phillips 66, Conoco, and 76 locations through a mobile app using a dynamic station finder, enabling a mobile payment wallet and delivering contextual commerce digital offers… The ‘Mobile Connect Experience’ is driven by P97’s PetroZone.”
More than 2bn chip cards were shipped globally by Smart Payment Association (SPA) members in 2016, representing an increase of 4% from 2015, the trade body reveals, with contactless cards accounting for more than 50% of shipments in most regions... More
Samsung has responded to the group of hackers from the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) who managed to defeat the iris recognition system on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones, saying that the hackers’ claims could “only have been made under a rare combination of circumstances”. More
UAE biometric database will allow residents not to carry ID — Gulf Business — “The UAE plans to utilise third generation biometric data with the goal of allowing residents not to carry their ID card within the next five years… By 2018, the authority is also aiming to allow 80% people to use government services via their mobile by operating the device’s Near Field Communication chip to read their Emirates ID.”
Android Pay to launch in Canada on May 31 — MobileSyrup — “Android Pay is finally set to launch in Canada on May 31st, according to sources that have reached out to MobileSyrup with internal documents… It’s unclear how widespread bank support will be for Android Pay when it launches. We do, however, know that Android Pay will work with ‘major credit and debit cards in Canada’.”
Samsung Pay has gone live in Hong Kong with support from Mastercard, Visa and American Express and banks including Bank of China (Hong Kong), Citibank, DahSing Bank, DBS and Standard Chartered. The launch takes the mobile payment service to a total of 17 markets globally and follows its debut in Taiwan earlier this month. More
Amazon adds shoppable stickers to its iOS app — TechCrunch — “Amazon has added support for stickers within its iOS app’s camera feed — the feature that allows you to search for products on its site by viewing real-world objects through your phone’s camera… In addition, you can tap on the “i” (information) button on the stickers themselves to be taken to the product detail page.”
Ant Financial enters Hong Kong market with AlipayHK mobile wallet — South China Morning Post — “The mobile wallet and payments app, dubbed AlipayHK, is similar to its Chinese counterpart Alipay — registered users are able to top up their mobile wallets and make in-store payments that are settled in Hong Kong dollars at merchants such as Watsons, Fortress and at supermarkets like ParknShop.”
Macey’s invites shoppers to skip checkout lines — Progressive Grocer — “After setting up a free account, Macey’s shoppers simply scan their items as they’re placed in the cart. Once they have everything they need, shoppers simply pay for the purchase directly from their phones using a linked debit or credit card, or the Apple Pay or Android Pay mobile wallet apps, and exit the store via the Skip Checkout lane.”
Danish fintech startup Clearhaus buys 33% of a Danish bank – eyeing new business model and expansion — Clearhaus — “Clearhaus has recently acquired 33% (worth 10 mil EUR) of the Copenhagen Cooperative Bank… Our interest is in closing the gap between traditional banking and acquiring. Clients will be able to see where they stand banking-wise without delay based on their transaction activity. We want to issue cards as well.”
Spanish bank BBVA has launched its open banking program by making eight of its APIs commercially available for the first time, meaning that third-party companies including startups and developers will be able to build new products and services by accessing and integrating customers’ banking data into their applications. More
Hangzhou buses first to all use mobile pay — China.org.cn — “‘Passengers can use Alipay and UnionPay flash payment cards on this terminal. Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Huawei Pay, Mi Pay and Android Pay can be used with smartphones or wearables like watches and electronic bracelets,’ said Liu Xiaojie, general manager of public services at Ant Financial.”
New York forces smart lock maker to improve its security — Engadget — “Utah-based Safetech Products has agreed to encrypt all of its smart lock passwords, electronic keys and other credentials within its locks, prompt users to change the default password upon initial setup and establish a more comprehensive security program.”