Google Wallet goes live in Colombia

Customer using Bancolombia visa debit card on his watch to make a contactless NFC payment via Google Wallet

Google Wallet has launched in Colombia, enabling users to store and use their credit and debit cards, boarding passes, tickets and other digital credentials on their Android NFC smartphone, Wear OS smartwatch or Fitbit device... More





Toronto gets open loop contactless fare payments

Person using smartphone on a validator on a Toronto bus to make open loop contactless fare payment

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in Canada has added support for open loop contactless fare payments, enabling passengers travelling on streetcars, buses and Wheel-Trans para-transit vehicles in the city to pay fares with a tap of their physical or digital credit or debit card... More


Brazil’s central bank lays out reasons for developing CBDC

Banco Central Do Brasil logo for the Drex central bank digital currency

The central bank digital currency (CBDC) that Brazil’s central bank is to pilot for retail payments in stores is to be called Drex and will be “a step forward in democratizing access for individuals and entrepreneurs to the benefits of the digitalization of the economy”, the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has announced... More




Starbucks trials reusable contactless cups

Three Starbucks returnable and reusable cups filled with beverages

Customers at 12 Starbucks outlets in the US state of California can now opt to have their beverage served in a reusable cup that they can return after use to a smart collection bin which scans the cup and then automatically enters them for a prize draw... More



California pilots mobile driving licence and ID card for airport identity checks and age verification

3 smartphone screens showing the California DM wallet mobile driving licence and ID card

Residents of the US state of California can now generate and store a digital version of their driving licence or state ID card on their Apple or Android smartphone and use it to verify their identity at selected Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport security checkpoints and confirm their age when making age-restricted purchases in selected stores... More







Contactless payments key to driving public transport use Visa survey reveals

Visa logo 400w

More than nine in ten public transport users worldwide expect to be able to make contactless fare payments when travelling on public transport (94%) and more than four in ten identify the ability to make contactless fare payments as a key factor in encouraging their use of public transportation (41%), according to Visa’s 2023 Future of Urban Mobility survey... More