Apple has acquired Credit Kudos, an update to the UK-based open banking provider’s website reveals, describing the company as “a subsidiary of Apple” and confirming media reports... More
United Kingdom
Average UK contactless transaction value rises by 30%
The value of the average contactless payment made in the UK has risen by 30% since the country increased its contactless spending limit from £45 (US$59) to £100 (US$132) in October last year, according to figures from UK Finance... More
Developers to use NFC to give reusable plastic containers unique digital identities
A UK-based consortium is to investigate the use of ultra-low-cost NFC technology to give individual items of reusable plastic packaging a unique digital identity (UDI) in order to track them across each package’s lifecycle, encourage their reuse and enable the development of a scalable packaging-as-a-service infrastructure... More
UK government unveils plans for secure and trusted digital identity standards
The UK government is to set up an Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (ODIA) and introduce legislation establishing an accreditation process for organisations handling identity data and making digital IDs “as trusted and secure as official documents such as passports and driving licences”... More
Tortoise to roll out robotic mobile smart stores in the US and UK
Consumers in New York, Chicago, Denver and other US cities as well as in London in the UK will soon be able to purchase items from remotely controlled robotic mobile vending machines with a tap of their contactless payment card or mobile wallet... More
UK diabetes patients to get NFC insulin pens
Diabetes patients in the UK will soon be able to receive smart insulin pens that enable them to self-administer insulin, record dosing information for each injection and communicate data to a smartphone, tablet or other compatible device using NFC... More
Transport Scotland lets young passengers add free bus travel to national smartcard with NFC
Young people aged between 16 and 21 in Scotland can now add a pass entitling them to free bus travel to their physical National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot NEC smartcard from their NFC smartphone using Transport Scotland’s Pass Collect app... More
Tyne and Wear Metro launches mobile ticketing for Android users
Android smartphone users travelling on Tyne and Wear Metro services in the UK can now add their Pop preloaded transit card to Google Pay and use it to pay their fares with a tap of their mobile... More
Soldo lets customers in the UK and Italy add corporate payment cards to Google Pay
Holders of corporate payment cards issued by spending management platform Soldo in the UK and Italy can now add them to Google Pay and use them to make contactless payments with their Android smartphone, smartwatch or tablet... More
Contactless card purchases to exceed 522bn globally by 2026
The number of contactless card purchases made worldwide will increase by an average of 23% a year and reach a total of more than 522bn by 2026, up by more than 370bn on the 149bn recorded in 2020, according to a forecast by Retail Banking Research (RBR)... More
Spain sees highest growth rate in contactless payments in Europe
The total number of contactless card payments made in Spain increased by 10% during 2021, the highest growth rate recorded in Europe, according to payment services provider Minsait Payments... More
Digital Identity Working Group lays out principles for interoperable digital identity systems
The Digital Identity Working Group (DIWG), made up of digital identity specialists from eight Digital Government Exchange (DGX) member states across the world, has identified 11 core principles to support international collaboration on the development of mutually recognised and interoperable digital identity systems and infrastructure... More
BIS finds consumers worldwide are switching to digital and contactless payments at ‘unprecedented rate’
Consumers in key markets around the world have switched from physical cash to digital and contactless payment methods at “a rate unprecedented” since the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) launched its Red Book of payment and settlement statistics in 2004, BIS says... More
Scotland trials digital micropayments as rewards for recycling plastic
Consumers in Glasgow in Scotland can now take part in a pilot scheme that rewards participants with a micropayment made directly into a digital wallet on their smartphone every time they recycle a single-use plastic bottle... More
Asda lets customers authorise age-restricted purchases with their face
Customers at two Asda supermarkets in Pudsey and Stevenage in the UK can now verify their age when purchasing age-restricted products such as beer, wine and spirits using facial age estimation technology... More
Royal Mail adds 2D barcodes to postage stamps
Royal Mail is adding 2D barcodes to UK postage stamps that link each stamp to its digital twin and will “facilitate operational facilities, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers,” the postal service says... More
UK sees 40% rise in contactless transaction values in 2021
The total transaction value of contactless card payments made in UK stores “surged” by 40.2% in 2021 and the average number of contactless payments made each day increased by 27.5% compared with the previous year, according to Barclaycard... More
UK grocery stores let consumers receive personalised digital vouchers on their smartphone
Customers shopping at Nisa grocery stores across the UK will soon be able to scan selected products with their smartphone in order to receive digital vouchers that entitle them to a discount on those products when they present their ‘voucher wallet’ at the checkout... More
Aldi lets customers authorise age-restricted purchases with their face in London contactless store pilot
Customers wishing to purchase alcohol and other age-restricted products in Aldi’s first contactless store on Greenwich High Street in London can authorise their purchase using facial age estimation technology... More
Seven in ten UK debit card transactions are now contactless
Nearly seven in ten debit card transactions (69%) and just over half of all credit card transactions (53%) in the UK are now contactless, according to figures from UK Finance... More