Apple expands Goldman credit card test to thousands of retail workers — Bloomberg — “The Cupertino, California-based company this week launched an internal beta program for the Apple Card with its retail workers, according to people familiar with the initiative. The move marks the first major trial for the card, which has been used for several weeks by a far smaller set of Apple corporate and Goldman Sachs employees.”
USA
Airlines commit to RFID baggage tags and single biometric ID for travellers
Two new resolutions passed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will see global adoption of RFID for airport baggage tracking and a move from passengers using paper documents to a single biometric ID they can use to prove their identity at any airport anywhere in the world... More
Mattel adds NFC to Hot Wheels racing cars
Mattel launches new Hot Wheels ‘id’ Smart Track Kit and NFC cars exclusively at Apple Stores — MacRumors — “The new Hot Wheels ID setup includes 51 die-cast cars with NFC tags that are going to be released in six mini collections throughout 2019, with each vehicle to be priced at US$6.99. Each car can be levelled up digitally, with challenges available to break race records.”
ETA issues US mobile payments market status report
The state of mobile payments in 2019 — Electronic Transactions Association — “In 2018, 55 million people in the US used their smartphone to make a payment at a physical point of sale, whether by loading money into a closed-loop mobile app (like the Starbucks app) or by loading a credit or debit card into an open-loop mobile wallet (like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay) and using it to pay at the point of sale. These 55 million users account for about 20% of the U.S. population aged 15 and over, and just over 25% of US smartphone users.”
TNS reports on consumer attitudes to wearable payments
TNS report shows alternative and cashless payments adoption at an inflection point with security a concern to wider usage — TNS — “44% of respondents are willing to make a payment using a wearable device like a ring or a bracelet; just under two-thirds (65%) expressed that security concerns would stop them from using a wearable device to make a payment; Australians are most concerned about security (68%) versus Americans (64%) and Britons (63%); more than half of male smartwatch owners have used it to make a payment.”
Apple extends GymKit NFC functionality to additional gym equipment market leaders
Apple has added three US gym equipment manufacturers — Octane Fitness, True Fitness and Woodway — to its growing list of partners worldwide for NFC-based GymKit for the Apple Watch, which enables users to sync their workout data between their watch and fitness machines... More
Malibu rolls out NFC connected bottles in the US
Drinks brand Malibu is launching an NFC-based promotion in the US states of Ohio and Texas that enables customers to use NFC tags attached to 300,000 ‘connected bottles’ to win branded goods and access cocktail recipes and other content... More
Uber eyes move into banking and payments business
Uber is making a fintech push with a New York hiring spree — CNBC — “There are many possible payment and lending innovations Uber could come up with: It has 93 million active users globally, most of whom use linked credit cards or fund a wallet called Uber Cash to pay for rides and food delivery… Creating a bank account has been discussed at a high level at Uber but may be years away, or the company could decide against it.”
College football fans to get NFC ticketing for access to games
Paciolan announces support for contactless tickets in Apple Wallet for college sports — Paciolan — “The first schools to offer contactless tickets for the fall 2019 football season include Baylor University, Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, University of Mississippi, Georgia Tech, and Rutgers University.”
MTA reports continued uptick in contactless card usage on New York subway
MTA: Latest Omny numbers ‘exceed even our most ambitious’ projections — Gothamist — “After sharing higher-than-forecasted numbers from Saturday (the first full day of service), the latest user numbers (which reflect numbers from Saturday through Wednesday) reveal that 38,987 people have used Omny at pilot locations… The MTA had expected weekly usage to be about 6,000-12,000 users on the subways and 800-1,500 on buses.”
MTA: 80% of Omny users paid with an NFC phone on launch weekend
More than 10,000 people tapped into MTA’s contactless payments this weekend — Crain’s New York Business — “The authority anticipated it would register between 6,000 and 12,000 tap-ins per week under the pilot for the system… About 6,100 people paid through Omny in the subway on Saturday and another 4,400 on Sunday. The MTA said about 80% of Omny payments last weekend came through phones.”
AmEx to convert all US cards to contactless
American Express says to NYC Subway riders: Don’t tap and pay without It — American Express — “Beginning in July, all newly issued and replacement US American Express consumer cards will be contactless. The contactless feature is now available on all US American Express consumer cards upon request through AmericanExpress.com, the Amex mobile app, or by phone.”
Bank of America to issue contactless cards in New York, Boston and San Francisco
BofA jumps on tap-to-pay bandwagon as NYC’s subway moves forward — Bloomberg — “The lender will send 4m contactless cards this month to customers in New York, Boston and San Francisco who have Visa debit or credit cards… It plans to measure usage in those markets before deciding on a broader rollout at the beginning of next year.”
Uber adds e-bike rentals to London transport app
Uber has launched a trial of its pedal-assisted electric bikes in London as part of its strategy to become an all-round transport app... More
Starbucks rewards Chinese customers with Mobile Order & Pay service
Coffee giant Starbucks has begun rolling out its Starbucks Now mobile-based, pre-order and pay service to 300 stores in Beijing and Shanghai... More
Apple unveils support for NFC pairing at WWDC
Apple is to add support for NFC P2P pairing in iOS 13, enabling iPhone users to share movies and music “with just a tap”... More
Banks balk at Apple Card business
A Goldman Sachs rival pulled out of the Apple Card deal on fears it will be a money loser — CNBC — “‘Dude, if that portfolio ever makes money, I’m buying you a beer,’ an employee at the card department of a big bank texted a Goldman staffer… Citigroup was in advanced negotiations with Apple for the card but pulled out amid doubts that it could earn an acceptable profit on the partnership, according to people with knowledge of the talks… Goldman is ‘thrilled’ to be partnering with Apple, according to Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the New York-based bank.”
Visa survey highlights benefits of open loop cards for transit payments
Chase and Visa provide an easier way to get around New York City with a tap — Visa — “More than two-thirds (67%) of riders have missed a train while waiting in line to reload a transit card, according to a recent Visa survey of more than 1,000 New Yorkers who take public transportation. Eight out of ten (83%) people surveyed said they have had trouble getting their transit card to work at the turnstile. And two-thirds (66%) have left or forgotten funds on a transit card, at an average of $35.10 lost.”
TriMet rolls out NFC ticketing for iPhone users
Portland-Vancouver’s Hop Fastpass becomes first transit fare card in North America on iPhone — TriMet — “Starting today, riders in the Portland-Vancouver region can add a Hop Fastpass card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone and Apple Watch to ride TriMet, C-Tran and Portland Streetcar.”
NFC and contactless transit ticketing to go live in New York City from 31 May
About Omny — The MTA — “Starting on May 31, 2019, you can use Omny onboard all Staten Island buses and at all subway station entrances on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42 Street and Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. All remaining bus routes, subway stations, and Staten Island Railway locations will be equipped by late 2020. You will be able to use Omny for commuter rail by early 2021.”