Why We’re Helping More Customers Scan and Go — Walmart — “The app allows customers to scan and bag items, including produce, while they shop and pay directly with their phones… Once customers are done shopping and have paid for their items, they simply walk through the Mobile Express lane on their way out… Customers see the price of individual items as they scan them along with a running total.”
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Dunkin’ Donuts offers faster pickups to customers who order via mobile
Dunkin’ Donuts unveils next generation concept store in Quincy, MA — Dunkin’ Donuts — “An exclusive On-the-Go drive-thru lane lets DD Perks members who order ahead via Dunkin’s mobile app bypass the ordering lane and merge straight into the line for the pickup window… Dunkin’ Donuts has also introduced an area dedicated to mobile pickups, so that members of the DD Perks Rewards program who order ahead via Dunkin’s mobile app can get in and out of the restaurant faster than ever before.”
Visa CEO plots central role in IoT payments
Visa CEO Al Kelly is planning for the day washing machines can make purchases — CNBC — “‘As the internet of things emerges and we see many more connected homes, connected cars and connected offices, you may end up with four, five, six, eight places in your home where you could actually buy from,’ Kelly told CNBC for Fortt Knox… ‘We at Visa are trying to make sure that we work with manufacturers around the world to create an on-ramp to facilitate payments from any of those locations,’ Kelly said. ‘We just want to be in the middle of that.’”
Walt Disney World to pilot cashless resort concept
Walt Disney World to test cashless resort concept at Animal Kingdom Lodge in February — WDW News Today — “Walt Disney World will be testing a cashless environment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge during a limited pilot program beginning February 12th, 2018. Jambo House at the Resort will be the first location to accept electronic payment only for all purchases and services… Valid forms of payments that will be accepted include MagicBands, credit cards, debit cards, Disney Gift Cards, Disney Rewards Redemption Cards and electronic payments methods such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay.”
WeChat opens unmanned store in Shanghai
WeChat opens its first unmanned store in Shanghai — ECNS — “Shoppers need to scan a QR code with their WeChat app to enter the store. Sensors at the exit detect the shopper’s selections and automatically charge their WeChat wallet when they go through a ‘payment door’… WeChat payment industry operations director Bai Zhenjie said it takes less than 0.1 seconds for a customer to pay a bill. He added that facial and image recognition technology may be adopted in the store in the future.”
ANZ reports surge in mobile wallet transaction volumes
Mobile wallet spending surges over holiday period — ANZ Bluenotes — “ANZ data show a significant rise in the volume of mobile wallet transactions in December 2017, up 140% on the previous corresponding period… In December ANZ customers favoured their smartphones and wearables for 4.5% of all transactions, compared with 2% for the same time last year. ANZ data show mobile wallet transactions reached 3.9m in December, compared with 1.6m in the same month in 2016.”
Paris church tests contactless donations
Tap and pray: Paris church introduces contactless contributions — France 24 — “On Sunday, the Saint-François de Molitor church in Paris’s 16th arrondissement launched an innovative new technology to transform the old-fashioned wicker basket into a contactless payment terminal… If the scheme is successful, it will be rolled out into more churches around Paris, said Christophe Rousselot, director of financial development in the Paris diocese.”
Westpac integrates mobile banking app with iMessage
Westpac launches iMessage shortcut for customers — Westpac — “The new capability offers Westpac customers a shortcut to access banking services while texting with contacts on their iPhone. By clicking on the new Westpac icon in their text conversation window, customers will be able to make payments, generate a Cardless Cash code and share their BSB and account details without leaving their text message. Westpac for iMessage is an extension of the Westpac Mobile Banking App. Customers with iMessage enabled on their iPhone with iOS 11 and the latest version of the Westpac app (v8.4) will be able to use the capability.”
Amazon opens its cashierless store to the public
Amazon Go cashierless convenience store opening to the public — The Seattle Times — “The store requires customers to scan their smartphone on the way in, tracks them with cameras and other sensors as they browse, and, when they take an item off the shelf, adds it to a virtual cart. Groceries are charged to the customer’s Amazon account when they leave with their goods.”
Six in ten Chinese consumers have experienced a mobile payments security threat
Quick take: Mobile payment fraud rises in China, report finds — Caixin — “A China UnionPay survey of 105,000 people found that 60% had been exposed to some kind of mobile payment security threat, including information leaks, fraud or malicious attacks… Nearly 30% of users reporting mobile payment fraud said QR codes were involved, up from 15% last year.”
Japanese NFC pioneer NTT Docomo to introduce QR code payments
NTT Docomo to start QR code payment — NHK — “Major Japanese mobile carrier NTT Docomo says its subscribers will be able to pay at stores using a QR code… The payments will be added to a monthly bill, or deducted from a credit card. Subscribers will have to download an app on their smartphone to use the service. It will be available at some 19,000 retailers and restaurants nationwide. Docomo says that figure will rise to 100,000 in a year.”
Shanghai Metro installs QR code readers at ticketing gates
Shanghai Metro to accept mobile-app payments — Caixin — “QR code-readers are being installed in all 389 metro stations in the city, which will allow passengers to use an app developed by metro operator Shanghai Shentong Metro Group. The app – dubbed ‘Metro daduhui’ – will connect to the payments systems of Alipay and China UnionPay.”
National Australia Bank integrates with Amazon Alexa
Hands-free banking: ‘Alexa, ask NAB if I’ve been paid’ — National Australia Bank — “The NAB skill for Amazon Alexa will allow customers, who have connected Alexa with their NAB account to ask their Alexa device questions like: ‘What’s my savings account balance?’, ‘How much do I owe on my credit card?’ or ‘Did I get paid this week?’… ‘In the future, we certainly see this experience turning into one where you can pay bills, make funds transfers or even purchase items at the command of your voice.’”
Ride-hailing app Grab acquires mobile payments startup iKaaz
Grab announces acquisition of Bangalore-based payments startup iKaaz — Grab — “The rich functionality of iKaaz’ mobile payments platform and its experienced leadership team will accelerate feature development and partner integration of GrabPay, Grab’s payments platform. Already Southeast Asia’s #1 ride-hailing platform, Grab is expanding across all markets in Southeast Asia in 2018 with the goal of becoming the region’s universal payments platform.”
Starbucks tests cashless store concept in Seattle
Starbucks tests no-cash policy at downtown Seattle store — Seattle Times — “Starbucks is experimenting with refusing cash at a posh location in downtown Seattle… ‘The test will help us understand how cashless forms of payment may impact our customer experience,’ the spokeswoman said.”
Wells Fargo adds support for Fitbit Pay
Wells Fargo announces support for Fitbit Pay — Wells Fargo — “Wells Fargo is partnering with Fitbit, the leading global wearables brand, to launch Fitbit Pay to its customers, giving them the ability to conveniently and securely make purchases at merchants whose payment terminals are set up to accept near-field communication (NFC) payments.”
Apple details Apple Pay Cash in updated iOS Security guide
iOS Security — Apple — “When you set up Apple Pay Cash, the same information as when you add a credit or debit card may be shared with our partner bank Green Dot Bank and with Apple Payments Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary created to protect your privacy by storing and processing information separately from the rest of Apple and in a way that the rest of Apple doesn’t know.”
India to add face recognition to Aadhaar biometric ID system
Now, face recognition to authenticate Aadhaar, but with biometrics or OTP — Times of India — “To be made available by July 1, the face authentication option will be allowed in combination with fingerprints, or iris scans, or an OTP to verify the details of Aadhaar users… Face authentication will not require any new reference data as photos of citizens are already on the Aadhaar database.”
Bank of America reports 84% rise in P2P payment transactions
Zelle takes cashless payments to new heights — Bank of America — “Bank of America saw total Zelle transactions for 2017 hit nearly 68 million, an 84% growth rate from the previous year. In Q4 alone, Bank of America processed over 23 million transactions, totaling nearly US$7bn, up 91% from the prior year… Currently, Bank of America has nearly three million active Zelle users, and continues to add thousands of new users every day.”
One in five Brits to make mobile payments in stores this year
UK: Mobile payments still looking to grab a foothold — eMarketer — “Just over 22% of UK smartphone users will use a phone to pay for goods and services at the point of sale (POS) in 2018… China has the largest mobile proximity payments market in the world, with 77.5% of smartphone users doing so this year. Within Europe, the UK’s smartphone penetration rate will rank behind Norway (23.3%), Sweden (33.8%) and Denmark (38.9%) in 2018.”