Almost half of US bank CEOs and directors worry about potential competition from Apple, with 63% saying they don’t think their bank is ready to offer Apple Pay, findings from Bank Director’s 2015 Growth Strategy Survey reveals... More
USA
Nintendo unveils New Nintendo 3DS with NFC
Nintendo’s New Nintendo 3DS system will launch in the US on September 25, including “a wider range of controls, face-tracking 3D and built-in NFC functionality that allows for communication with Amiibo figures”, the company says... More
Apple granted NFC and Touch ID patents
Apple has been granted 45 patents relating to NFC, Touch ID and Apple Watch in the US, Patently Apple reports... More
Wienerschnitzel launches mobile payment and loyalty app
US fast food restaurant chain Wienerschnitzel has launched a loyalty based mobile app that also comes equipped with mobile payment capability to reward customers for purchases made at checkout using a point system... More
PayAnywhere reader supports Apple Pay
Credit card processor North American Bancard has introduced a new version of its PayAnywhere mobile credit card reader, which accepts Apple Pay, contactless NFC payments and magnetic stripe credit cards... More
Samsung Pay opens US beta test
Samsung has begun inviting those eligible to take part in a Samsung Pay beta test in the US ahead of the mobile payment service’s launch next month... More
Coin unveils EMV-ready Coin 2.0 with NFC
Connected device maker Coin has released a new version of its electronic magnetic stripe card that is EMV-ready and incorporates NFC, allowing users to store credit and debit cards and make both contactless and swipe payment transactions for in-store purchases... More
MCX adds offers and discounts to CurrentC mobile wallet
US retailer-led consortium MCX has announced a partnership with promotions management and processing provider Inmar to bring digital promotions from US brands to its yet-to-launch mobile wallet platform CurrentC... More
PREIT installs BLE beacons in US malls
Retail shopping mall owner Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT) is to roll out Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons in its shopping centres in 12 US states, allowing retailers and brands to trigger offers and information in shoppers’ smartphones... More
PayPal One Touch expansion
PayPal has extended its One Touch mobile payments solution to 13 new markets: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey... More
Elle launches BLE beacon offers across the US
Women’s fashion magazine Elle has launched a promotion across the US that makes use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons and geofence technology to trigger exclusive content and offers in a shopper’s smartphone when they are within range of a participating store partner... More
NFC Forum adds new members
The NFC Forum has added new associate, implementer and non-profit members, following the recent addition of Apple as a sponsor member... More
Four in five Apple Watch owners use Apple Pay
Some 80% of Apple Watch owners that are eligible to use Apple Pay have already done so, research from Wristly has found, with 79% saying they prefer using the mobile payments service on their Apple Watch over their iPhone... More
Verizon Wireless cool on Samsung Pay support
Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless carrier in the US, may not support Samsung Pay when it launches there next month... More
Synchrony Financial offers Samsung Pay support
Consumer financial services provider Synchrony Financial will offer its private label credit card holders the ability to access their cards through Samsung Pay when it launches in the US in September... More
Apple Pay adds 18 banks in US
Apple has added a further 18 banks and credit unions to its list of financial institutions in the US supporting Apple Pay, putting the total close to 500... More
MCX ‘will not rush’ CurrentC rollout
CurrentC, the mobile wallet offered by US retailer-led consortium MCX, may not launch widely this year as originally planned, CEO Brian Mooney has said... More
MasterCard begins Selfie Pay trials
MasterCard is testing a ‘Selfie Pay’ service in the Netherlands with International Card Services and Dutch bank ABN Amro... More
Android Pay launch date leak
Android Pay could be launching on Wednesday, August 26, a leaked memo from fast-food chain McDonald’s to its US employees suggests... More
US to get Samsung Pay in September
Samsung Pay will launch in Korea on 20 August and in the US on 28 September, the handset maker confirmed as it announced two new flagship devices in New York yesterday... More