WhatsApp users in Brazil can now send money to friends, family and other contacts by attaching a payment to a chat “just as you would attach a photo or video” and validating the transfer with a PIN or their device’s biometrics functionality... More
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Apple Pay goes live in Israel
Apple Pay has rolled out in Israel with support for Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards issued by nine major Israeli banks and credit card companies, according to local media outlets... More
Finnish cities roll out open loop contactless fare payments
Passengers using selected ferries and trams in the Finnish capital of Helsinki and buses in the city of Tampere can now make EMV contactless fare payments using an open loop ticketing platform being rolled out by Helsinki Regional Transport and Tampere’s Nysse regional transit authority... More
Aion Bank onboards personal and business customers via NFC
Consumers, retailers and other business customers can now remotely verify their identity when opening an account or applying for a loan with Belgium-based Aion Bank by scanning the contactless chip embedded in an ID document with their NFC smartphone or other mobile device and validating the information via a facial recognition check... More
Google Pay to add transit payments to home screen
Google Pay users in the US will soon be able to access mobile transit ticketing services including fare payments and transit card management directly from the app’s home screen on their smartphone or other mobile device... More
Porsche lets owners in Australia find, access and pay for parking from their vehicle
Porsche owners in Australia can now be guided to, gain entry to and make contactless payment for off-street parking in the city of Melbourne directly from their in-vehicle touchscreen using the luxury vehicle manufacturer’s smart parking app... More
Chinese banks unveil CBDC hardware prototypes for multiple use cases
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) have unveiled prototype hardware devices that support the use of the digital yuan central bank digital currency (CBDC) across a range of different use cases... More
Samsung Pay to add support for local currencies in South Korea
Consumers in the South Korean province of Gyeonggi-do will soon be able to make mobile payments using local currencies issued by 28 cities and counties across the region using a local currency easy payment platform... More
Norges Bank to test technical solutions for Norwegian CBDC
Norway’s central bank Norges Bank is to test “various technical solutions for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) over the next two years”, the bank’s CBDC working group has announced in its third project report... More
Mir payments system adds support for Apple Pay
Russia’s domestic payments system Mir is adding support for Apple Pay, enabling banks to let customers link a Mir payment card to Apple Wallet and use it to make mobile payments... More
Transport for Ireland adds NFC transit card top-ups for iPhone users
Passengers on public transportation services in Ireland can now use an NFC-enabled iPhone to top up their Leap transit card using Transport for Ireland’s (TfI) Leap Card top-up app... More
Retail CBDC projects ‘particularly strong’ in emerging economies, PwC index shows
Projects to develop a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC) for use by consumers and businesses are “more advanced” and “particularly strong” in emerging economies, according to analysis by global consultancy firm PwC... More
Russian retail giant adds biometric payments to let customers ‘pay with a glance’
Customers at superstores, supermarkets and convenience and cosmetics stores owned by Russian retail group Magnit can now authenticate contactless payments at self-checkout devices using pay-with-a-glance technology... More
Chinese firm promotes video game with giant QR code in the sky
Gamers in Shanghai were able to download a link to a video game by scanning a giant QR code created in the sky above the Chinese city by a formation of more than 1,500 drones with their smartphone... More
NFC Forum releases specifications for secure data transfer between NFC devices
The NFC Forum has released two specifications that set out a standardised cryptographic framework for enabling secure data transfer between NFC mobile devices and the development of applications using a secure communications channel between paired NFC devices... More
Crédit Agricole issues biometric payment cards in France
Customers of Crédit Agricole can now use their fingerprint to authenticate contactless payments made with a biometric deferred debit card issued by the French bank... More
Amazon expands pay by palm technology to Whole Foods Market store
Customers at a Whole Foods Market store in Seattle in the USA can now gain access to the supermarket and pay for their purchases using Amazon’s contactless palm scanning device... More
Car Connectivity Consortium to release specification for hands-free Bluetooth and ultra wideband digital keys
The Car Connectivity Consortium is to complete its specification for Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and ultra wideband (UWB) digital keys that enable drivers to unlock and start their vehicles without needing to take their mobile device out of their bag or pocket “by the middle of 2021”... More
Apple lets US families build credit by sharing Apple Card accounts
Apple Card users in the US will soon be able to add other family members to their card account and allow them to build their credit ratings together, as well as jointly track purchases and manage spending... More
Apple rolls out AirTags for locating and tracking personal items
iPhone users will soon be able to attach tags to their keys, wallets, bags and other personal items that use NFC, ultra wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth technology to enable them to easily locate their belongings with their smartphone... More