A “growing number” of Europeans would support the creation of national digital currencies with the specific aim of asserting “some monetary independence” from the European Union, according to a survey commissioned by Euronews... More
Spain
Germany and Spain to test cross-border digital identity ecosystem
The governments of Germany and Spain have signed a memorandum of agreement to cooperate on the design, development and piloting of a cross-border digital identity ecosystem that will enable citizens to verify their identity and access digital services in both countries... More
Estonia’s central bank tests blockchain-powered digital euro solution
Eesti Pank, the central bank of Estonia, has tested a blockchain-powered technical solution for the use of a digital euro central bank digital currency (CBDC) that it says is capable of handling more than 300,000 simultaneous payments a second and enables payees to receive a payment in less than two seconds... More
CaixaBank to let customers access all digital banking services at ATMs
Customers of CaixaBank in Spain can now use the bank’s ATMs to access the same online digital banking services and features as those available to them on its mobile app and website... More
ANA invites passengers with NFC phones to pilot IATA digital travel pass
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is to trial the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Pass app, enabling passengers on selected flights between Japan and the US to verify their identity and their Covid-19 test results at check-in on their NFC-enabled smartphone... More
European banks invest €30m in EU rival to Visa and Mastercard
The banks and other institutions backing the development of a unified payment systems for merchants and consumers across Europe have so far invested €30m in the European Payments Initiative, EPI chair Joachim Schmalzl has revealed... 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
Opera chooses Antelop to enable NFC digital card payments for Dify users
PARTNER NEWS: Opera has selected Antelop Solutions as a long-term digital payments partner, enabling users of its new Dify in-browser cashback and digital wallet app to activate a Dify digital debit card in Google Pay and use it to make NFC payments in stores... More
Survey reports on consumer attitudes to using mobile apps for transit ticketing
Nearly one in two Americans (46%) are most likely or definitely interested in mobile payment options for public transit ticketing “for a safer mass transit journey”, a survey of consumers in 28 countries around the world has found... More
Seed potato supplier pilots NFC smart bags
Netherlands-based seed potato supplier HZPC is piloting smart delivery bags that use an integrated NFC chip to enable customers to download information about the potatoes a bag contains with a tap of their smartphone... More
Ford lets commercial vehicle drivers process payments from their connected vehicle app
Food and beverage suppliers, mobile florists, couriers and other small business owners in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK can now use their FordPass Pro connected vehicle app to accept card payments from their customers... More
Spanish banks to launch digital ID platform
Spanish consumers are set to be able to self-manage their digital identity on their mobile device using a blockchain-enabled platform being developed by a consortium of 10 companies that includes leading Spanish banks Banco Santander, Bankia, CaixaBank, and Liberbank... More
NFC Forum reports on consumer attitudes and adoption trends across the world
Seven in ten consumers are confident with the security contactless cards/mobile wallets provide and 88% report a consistently positive user experience with NFC contactless technologies, a survey of consumers in nine countries around the world has found... More
BBVA begins global rollout of mobile-first credit cards
Customers of BBVA bank in Spain can now apply for a ‘blank’ physical and digital payments card with ‘hidden’ credentials and a dynamic CVV code that can be used in credit, debit or prepaid mode... More
Metro de Sevilla introduces tap-and-go ticketing payments
Passengers on Metro de Sevilla services in the Spanish city of Seville can now pay their fares using their contactless debit or credit cards or their mobile device without needing to buy or recharge a ticket from a ticket vending machine... More
Renfe to roll out contactless ticketing across Spain’s suburban rail network
Passengers using suburban rail services in Spain’s 12 largest metropolitan areas will soon be able to use their physical or digital contactless bank card to pay for their fares on EMV readers installed in station turnstiles... More
Merchants in Spain and Hungary pilot cardless payments service that combines face and palm biometrics
Customers at a coffee shop in Budapest, Hungary, and a number of small city-centre retailers in Guadalajara, Spain, are piloting a biometric payment service which allows them to make payments at the point of sale using their face and palm without needing a card, smartphone or other mobile device... More
BBVA to pilot contactless payments acceptance on standard Android NFC smartphones
Spanish banking group BBVA is to pilot a service which will enable merchants to accept contactless payments on their Android smartphones without the need of additional hardware... More
Orange Bank introduces mobile-first debit card in Spain
Customers of Orange Bank in Spain will now be automatically issued with a digital debit card that they can use to instantly begin making mobile payments both online and in-store — and can also request a companion physical card that comes without a printed card number, CVC code or expiration date... More
European banks to create cross-border instant payments system
Sixteen major European banks have announced plans to jointly create a new company that will be tasked with delivering “a seamless, competitive and unified payment solution” for in-store, online and P2P payments across Europe... More