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
Japan
Japanese financial service providers begin facial recognition payment trials
Employees of Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Sumitomo Mitsui Card have begun a facial recognition service trial to authenticate purchases, with payments being deducted from their wage at the end of the month... More
Apple Pay targets US retail and transport expansion
Apple Pay is now accepted by 35% of US retailers, representing about 4m locations across the country, Apple VP Jennifer Bailey has revealed during the Re/code Code Commerce event in San Francisco... More
Apple Pay launches in Spain
Apple Pay has been officially launched in Spain, with Apple developing partnerships with Banco Santander, payment giants American Express and Mastercard, retailer Carrefour and prepaid meal payment service Ticket Restaurant... More
PayPal launches Siri payment requests in 30 countries
PayPal has enabled money transfers via Apple’s Siri voice command function, enabling users with iOS10 devices to make payments by speaking requests... More
NEC aims for face recognition for payments by late 2017
Japanese IT giant NEC is holding trials with banks and credit card companies to deploy facial recognition systems for payments, IT Wire reports... More
Toyota to pilot BLE car-sharing device to unlock doors with mobile app
Drivers may soon be able to lock and unlock car doors and start vehicle engines using their smartphone and a Smart Key Box (SKB) unveiled by Toyota that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)... More
Bell ID’s TSP to help Japan Apple Pay integration
PARTNER NEWS: Rambus Bell ID’s token service provider (TSP) service is being used by IBM Japan to support Japanese banks’ integration with Apple Pay, which went live in the country this week... More
Apple Pay transactions up 500% year on year, CEO reports
Apple Pay transactions have risen nearly 500% year on year, with more purchases made in September 2016 than during the whole fiscal year in 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed during the company’s latest quarterly financial results call... More
Apple Pay goes live in Japan
Apple Pay is now live in Japan, enabling local iPhone and Apple Watch users to make payments in stores and on public transportation services that support the widely used Sony FeliCa-based Japanese NFC payments system... More
Apple targets cashless society
Apple is planning to “pour further resources” into Apple Pay in Japan and across other Asian markets in an attempt to promote a cashless society... More
Japanese government to trial biometrics
The government of Japan is to begin piloting a biometric authentication-based payments service next month that will enable travelers to make purchases using their fingerprint... More
Japanese firms team with NTT and Daon for biometric venture
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation have signed an agreement with NTT Data and biometrics provider Daon for the commercialisation of services that will offer individual identification platforms utilizing several different types of biometric authentication... More
Japanese bank to roll out palm vein ID
Customers of Japan’s Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank will soon be able to access services by using their palms for authentication... More
Apple Pay heads to New Zealand and Russia
Apple Pay is preparing to launch in New Zealand with support from ANZ Bank New Zealand... More
Apple continues NFC support
Apple’s new flagship smartphones — the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus — as well as its second generation wearables range — the Apple Watch Series 2 — will carry support for Apple Pay... More
FeliCa NFC technology confirmed for Apple Pay in Japan
Apple has confirmed that its new flagship smartphones — the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus — and the second generation Apple Watch will be equipped with Sony FeliCa NFC technology... More
Android Pay heads to Japan
Google is collaborating with financial services giant Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to launch its Android Pay mobile payment service in Japan this autumn... More
Apple to offer iPhone with FeliCa NFC payments in Japan
Apple is planning to launch an iPhone in Japan equipped with Sony FeliCa NFC technology to allow owners to make payments for travel and other services... More
Japanese bank eyes facial recognition
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) is exploring the use of a facial authentication system for customers to make payments... More