Google has launched its Android Pay mobile payments service in Russia, allowing those with eligible Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards issued from 15 supporting banks and financial institutions to make in-store and in-app payments using their compatible mobile devices. More
Android Pay will be rolled out to a number of additional countries including Brazil, Canada, Russia, Spain and Taiwan over the “coming months”, Google’s director of engineering for payment products Varouj Chitilian has revealed... More
Apple Pay has begun rolling out across Italy with support for Mastercard and Visa cards issued by Carrefour Banca and UniCredit, with American Express, CartaBCC, ExpendiaSmart, Fineco Bank, Hype, Banca Mediolanum, N26 and Widiba listed as “coming this year”. The launch takes Apple Pay to a total of 16 markets globally. More
Apple Pay is experiencing “phenomenal traction”, with transaction volume up 450% over the last 12 months, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed. Monthly Apple Pay transactions have grown by nearly 300% in the last year across the UK, while in Japan more than half a million transit users are completing 20m Apple Pay transactions per month. More
Samsung Pay has expanded to four additional markets with official launches in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and early access launches in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The service has also been made available on Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch in Russia, Sweden and the UAE in addition to its availability on the Gear S3 in the US, Singapore and Australia. More
Android Pay has been integrated into the mobile banking apps of “several banks around the world” so that users can add their cards to the mobile payment service with “just the click of a button”. The feature will also work for those who have not installed Android Pay on their handset, giving them access to “the capabilities of Android Pay” without having to leave their mobile banking app. More
Samsung Pay is to launch in Ireland later this year, following its expected launch in the UK this summer, according to The Irish Times... More
Apple Pay has launched in Taiwan with support from Mastercard, Visa and seven banks including Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, Cathay United Bank, E.Sun Commercial Bank, Taishin International Bank, CTBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Union Bank of Taiwan. More
Android Pay has launched in Belgium with support for Mastercard and Visa credit cards from BNP Paribas Fortis, Hello Bank... More
Apple Pay has been launched across Ireland with support from Mastercard, Visa, KBC and Ulster Bank, allowing customers to make in-store, online and in-app payments using their compatible devices... More
Mastercard has unveiled a new feature for its Qkr... More
Drinkers of Jameson Irish Whiskey can access prizes and giveaways by tapping their phones against an NFC tag placed on a special edition bottle marking St Patrick’s Day in Ireland... More
Allied Irish Banks (AIB) is waiving the transaction fee for all transactions made using contactless cards or NFC mobile devices... More
France has become the first eurozone country in which consumers with iOS devices can use Wirecard’s Boon service to make purchases with Apple Pay, by adding a virtual Boon card to the mobile payment service... More
Google has launched its Android Pay mobile payments platform in Japan in collaboration with prepaid card provider Rakuten Edy, allowing consumers to make payments with their compatible devices at more than 470,000 locations accepting Rakuten Edy eMoney... More
Facebook has secured an e-money licence from the Central Bank of Ireland that will allow the company to launch charitable donations and P2P payments through its Messenger service across Europe... More
Android Pay has launched in Ireland with support from Visa and Mastercard and banks AIB and KBC with “more banks being added in the coming months”, Google’s Pali Bhat writes... More
German payments technology provider Wirecard is to integrate insurance solutions from Credit Life International into its Boon host card emulation (HCE) mobile payments app... More
Swedish mobile payments specialist Seamless’ Seqr mobile payment platform has launched a P2P money transfer service that enables users to instantly transfer money to each other “regardless of where they are in the world”, the company says... More
Coffee chain Caffè Nero is to build a mobile payment and loyalty platform for its customers using technology supplied by QR code-based platform Yoyo Wallet... More