Facebook plans to launch ‘GlobalCoin’ currency in 2020 — BBC — “Facebook wants to create a digital currency that provides affordable and secure ways of making payments, regardless of whether users have a bank account. The social networking site, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, is hoping to disrupt existing networks by breaking down financial barriers, competing with banks and reducing consumer costs.”
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iPhone NFC ticketing goes live at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium
Ticketek contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch go live — TEG — “Ticketek, the Australian leader in ticketing, announced today [that] Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane is Australia’s first sport and entertainment stadium to offer convenient and fast contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch… Contactless tickets on iPhone and Apple Watch will be rolled out to further venues across Australia in the coming months.”
India sets out plans for a cash-lite society
RBI publishes ‘Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2019 — 2021’ — Reserve Bank of India — “The Payment Systems Vision 2021, with its 36 specific action points and 12 specific outcomes, aspires to (a) enhance customer experience, including robust grievance redressal; (b) empower payment system operators and service providers; (c) enable the payments ecosystem and infrastructure; (d) put in place forward-looking regulations; and (e) undertake risk-focused supervision.”
Monese teases Apple Pay launches in 13 European countries
Apple Pay will soon launch in 16 more countries, including Bulgaria and Croatia — MacRumors — “Mobile banking service Monese has revealed that Apple Pay is also coming soon to its cardholders in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia… Apple Pay is also nearing launch in the Netherlands, Hungary, and Luxembourg for a total of 16 upcoming countries.”
National Australia Bank goes live with Apple Pay
Australian ‘big four’ bank NAB adopts Apple Pay, Westpac lone holdout — AppleInsider — “National Australia Bank (NAB) on Monday announced immediate support for Apple Pay, becoming the third of Australia’s ‘big four’ banks to integrate with Apple’s payments platform after a failed boycott… With NAB on board, Westpac becomes the last of Australia’s ‘big four’ banks to resist Apple Pay.”
TriMet rolls out NFC ticketing for iPhone users
Portland-Vancouver’s Hop Fastpass becomes first transit fare card in North America on iPhone — TriMet — “Starting today, riders in the Portland-Vancouver region can add a Hop Fastpass card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone and Apple Watch to ride TriMet, C-Tran and Portland Streetcar.”
ABN Amro unveils blockchain-based NFC platform for trade inventory tracking
ABN Amro to launch Forcefield — ABN Amro — “The platform can communicate with physical trade inventories through the Internet of Things, sensors and near field communication chips. As a result, the inventories, which are often collateral for loans, can be monitored very effectively, which will lead to more secure physical handling processes and a reduction of costs.”
Apple Pay goes live in Luxembourg and Hungary
Apple Pay launches in Hungary and Luxembourg — MacRumors — “In Luxembourg, BGL BNP Paribas is currently the sole bank supporting Apple’s digital wallet, while OTP Bank is supporting Apple Pay in Hungary… The expansion within Europe follows the launch of Apple Pay in Iceland earlier this month. Elsewhere, regional banks in The Netherlands and Portugal have teased that Apple’s contactless payment system is ‘coming soon’.”
NFC and contactless transit ticketing to go live in New York City from 31 May
About Omny — The MTA — “Starting on May 31, 2019, you can use Omny onboard all Staten Island buses and at all subway station entrances on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42 Street and Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. All remaining bus routes, subway stations, and Staten Island Railway locations will be equipped by late 2020. You will be able to use Omny for commuter rail by early 2021.”
Privatbank to use customised ‘card avatars’ to drive mobile payments adoption
Ukraine’s PrivatBank has become the first in the world to provide customers with a way to customise the design of the cards they add to Google Pay or Apple Pay — beginning with a set of X-Men: Dark Phoenix original designs made available via a licensing deal with movie studio 20th Century Fox... More
Visa reports on contactless payments adoption
Tap to pay is taking off — Visa — “Globally, adoption continues to see strong growth with nearly half of all face-to-face Visa transactions occurring with a tap outside the US. In the last year, nearly 50 countries have seen a 10 point or greater increase in tap-to-pay penetration of all domestic face-to-face transactions.”
Google Pay to add a rewards platform?
Google’s new plan to push Google Pay in India: cashback incentives in Android apps — Techcrunch — “The company has built an in-app engagement rewards platform that promises to help developers and businesses retain users and drive engagement on their apps, two sources familiar with the matter said… Sitting at the core of this new play is Google Pay, which will be used for transactions between businesses and users, thereby expanding the reach of Google’s payment service.”
Alipay and WeChat Pay to support common QR code standard for Japan
Japan to unify mobile payment codes, enlisting Chinese giants — Nikkei Asian Review — “Line and Alibaba Group Holding are among five major internet businesses from Japan and China that will standardize QR codes that are scanned to make payments via smartphones in Japan, Nikkei has learned. The others joining this undertaking are online flea market operator Mercari and mobile carrier NTT Docomo from Japan and Tencent Holdings’ WeChat Pay from China.”
ABI Research forecasts 10bn NFC tags in use by 2023
NFC tags represent an “enormous growth opportunity” and are now “ready for the mainstream”, according to a new forecast by ABI Research which is available to download free of charge from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Alltown lets drivers use their toll tag to pay for fuel from their car
PayByCar partners with P97 Networks to enable toll-tag based in-vehicle payments at Alltown retail fuel sites — P97 Networks — “By simply linking an E-ZPass transponder to a separate non-toll account on www.mypaybycar.com, the driver gains a convenient fuel purchase experience similar to the one of driving through an electronic toll lane… When a driver pulls into a forecourt, the transponder and vehicle ID are detected by RFID sensors installed at site entrances.
Apple to include an NFC tag in Apple Card packaging
Apple Card’s colorful packaging revealed ahead of launch — Cult of Mac — “The photos of Apple Card were published by leaker Benjamin Geskin, who claims that Apple employees are now getting their hands on testing units… To activate the Card, customers simply unlock their iPhone and then hold it against an NFC tag that’s hidden inside the packaging. This adds the Card to the Wallet app and lets you use it right away.”
Itaú Unibanco unveils low cost instant QR payments service in Brazil
Brazil’s Itau Unibanco to launch new payments app using QR code — Reuters — “Merchants using Iti will pay a fee of 1% per transaction and will receive payments instantly… The app also does not require merchants to buy or rent card reader machines… Itaú is also considering offering investments, loans and insurance products through the new app.”
India to mandate QR mobile payments in stores?
QR code option may be must for shops — The Times of India — “The government is looking to mandate a QR code-based payment option using UPI at all shops. The measure is intended to promote digital payments as the preferred option.”
Apple Pay to go live in Hungary and Luxembourg?
Apple Pay nearing launch in Hungary and Luxembourg — MacRumors — “MacRumors has spotted the usual server-side changes that Apple makes shortly before expanding Apple Pay to new regions — in this case, Hungary and Luxembourg. The service could launch in both countries within days.”
Google adds support for in-store cash payments for apps
Google to allow users to pay for Android apps using cash — Techcrunch — “Instead of charging an attached credit card, for instance, the user can instead opt to receive a payment code which they can use to pay for their purchase using cash at a nearby store. Once at the store, the user shows the payment code to the cashier and pays. Within 10 minutes after completing the transaction, the user will receive their purchase and an email with their proof of payment.”