Customers of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) can now send money using Apple’s Siri voice assistant using the latest version of the RBC Mobile iOS app... More
Apple
Supporting banks named ahead of Apple Pay’s Italy launch
Apple Pay is “arriving” in Italy with support from Mastercard, Visa, Carrefour Banca, UniCredit and German payment processor Wirecard’s Boon service, Apple’s website says... More
Apple Pay goes live in Ireland with support from Mastercard, Visa and two banks
Apple Pay has been launched across Ireland with support from Mastercard, Visa, KBC and Ulster Bank, allowing customers to make in-store, online and in-app payments using their compatible devices... More
Mobile World Congress survey: IoT and mobile payments ‘biggest business opportunities’ for 2017
The Internet of Things (IoT) is seen as the biggest business opportunity of 2017 by nearly half of visitors and exhibitors at Mobile World Congress surveyed by the GSMA (48.2%), followed by mobile payments (14.5%) and artificial intelligence (14%). More
Cook: Apple Pay has “hit an air pocket”
Apple CEO Tim Cook told attendees at the company’s annual shareholder meeting this week that Apple Pay “hit an air pocket” this year with adoption in the US trailing other countries, such as China and Australia, where NFC is more broadly available, AppleInsider reports from the event... More
Apple Pay begins major promotional campaign in Japan
Apple is promoting adoption of Apple Pay in Japan via a two month campaign that offers a wide range of rewards and benefits to consumers who choose to use the NFC payments service. More
Bank of China brings Apple Pay to UnionPay credit cards
Bank of China has become the first bank in Hong Kong to offer Apple Pay with UnionPay credit cards... More
Apple and Samsung boost Russian interest in virtual cards
The launch of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay in Russia helped to produce a fivefold increase in the number of consumers using online payment service Yandex.Money to pay for goods and services in 2016, Vedemosti reports... More
ING Direct and Macquarie support Apple Pay in Australia
ING Direct and Macquarie Bank are now rolling out support for Apple Pay in Australia, with 47 financial institutions now supporting the mobile payments service in the country... More
Apple Pay coming soon to Germany and Italy?
Apple Pay could soon be launching in Germany and Italy, after German and Italian language instructions on how to use the mobile payment service were discovered on Apple’s website by Polish website iMagazine... More
Apple buys facial recognition startup
Apple has acquired RealFace, an Israel-based facial recognition technology startup, in a deal estimated to be “several million dollars,” Israeli financial website Calcalist reports... More
New iPhone to feature 3D laser facial recognition scanner?
Apple’s iPhone 7S, 7S Plus and 8 will come with a 3D laser scanner for facial recognition later this year to replace the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall has told MacRumors... More
Russian mobile network MTS launches first phase of Money Wallet payments, transfer and loyalty service
Russian mobile network operator MTS has launched MTS Money Wallet, an online payments and money transfer service that incorporates loyalty points, offers and discounts, and is to be expanded to transport and in-store payments via NFC, SMS and USSD technologies later this year... More
Apple patent shows touchscreen fingerprint scanner
A patent shows Apple is working on a “micro-LED active matrix display panel” that would allow a fingerprint scanner to be integrated into an iPhone touchscreen and could eventually replace the current Touch ID button... More
Jaguar brings in-car fuel payments to Shell service stations
Luxury car maker Jaguar has begun integrating a mobile payments system into its vehicles, allowing drivers to use PayPal or Apple Pay to pay for fuel at Shell service stations using an app and the touchscreen found inside their vehicle... More
Apple Pay and Android Pay prepare for Korea launch
Apple Pay and Android Pay are preparing to launch in Korea, according to The Korea Herald... More
Turkish bank adds iMessage payments
Customers of Isbank in Turkey can now send and receive money using Apple’s iMessage... More
Australian banks drop Apple Pay fee request to focus on iPhone NFC access
The group of Australian banks arguing for the right to collectively negotiate with Apple over the introduction of Apple Pay in the country have dropped their request to jointly arrange how to “pass-through” additional fees Apple imposes on its mobile payment service, and will now focus solely on gaining access to the NFC functionality within the iPhone... More
Australia’s retailers join the banks in their battle with Apple Pay
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has come out in support of the group of four Australian banks seeking stronger negotiation powers with Apple over the introduction of Apple Pay in the country, saying they believe access to the NFC functionality in the iPhone would allow retailers to provide “a richer and more convenient customer experience”... More
Apple Pay boss claims Australians will be ‘happy to switch banks’ for the mobile payments service
Apple Pay boss Jennifer Bailey says she believes Australians will be “happy to switch banks” in order to use Apple Pay, while the group of four Australian banks wanting the ability to collectively negotiate with Apple over the introduction of the mobile payments service risks “being left behind” in the development of digital wallets by doing so... More