Over half a billion mobile money accounts have been registered in 92 countries, with 1.3bn transactions processed in December 2016 alone, research from GSMA reveals... More
More than 500m people now have a mobile money account
API
UK bank tests voice commands with Google Home
Starling Bank, a UK mobile-only bank, is testing an integration of its API with Google Home, the voice-activated speaker powered by Google Assistant... More
Secure element security added to web applications
GlobalPlatform has released Web API for Accessing Secure Elements v1.0, a standardised communications interface between web applications and secure elements (SEs) that will enable sensitive data from online applications to be stored and processed in a secure, isolated environment... More
Google unveils updated Android for Internet of Things
Google has unveiled Android Things, an update to its Internet of Things (IoT) developer platform, which it says will make it “faster and easier to create smart, connected products” powered by Android’s operating system and secured with updates directly from the internet giant... More
Google’s browser connects with BLE
The latest version of Google’s Chrome browser allows websites to interact with Bluetooth Low Energy devices... More
Carta to host payments and fintech leaders at Mobey Day Toronto
PARTNER NEWS: Carta Worldwide is preparing to welcome leaders from across the payments and financial technology industry to the first Mobey Day in North America, to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto from 7-8 December... More
120m mobile wallets connect to MFS Hub
Some 120m mobile wallets in Sub-Saharan Africa are now connected to mobile financial services provider MFS Africa’s MFS Hub... More
Citi launches global API Developer Hub
Citi has launched a global API Developer Hub to give developers access to APIs across eight usage categories including account management, peer-to-peer payments, money transfer to institutions, Citi rewards, investment purchases and account authorisation... More
Half of global banking customers use fintech services, but trust remains low
Half of banking customers around the world are using the products or services of at least one fintech firm, according to the first World FinTech Report (WFTR) from Capgemini and LinkedIn, but customer trust in fintech providers is low... More
Mastercard adds blockchain APIs to developer site
Mastercard has added blockchain APIs to its developer site to “facilitate new commerce opportunities for the digital transfer of value”, following Visa’s announcement last month it aims to pilot its B2B Connect system next year after working with blockchain developer Chain... More
Masterpass enables in-car payments through General Motors’ OnStar
Drivers will soon be able to make purchases from within vehicles using their Masterpass account through OnStar — a subscription-based, in-car communications service and General Motors (GM) subsidiary... More
Mastercard to launch artificial intelligence bots for banks and merchants
Mastercard has unveiled plans to launch artificial intelligence (AI) bots for its merchant and bank partners, allowing consumers to use chat, messaging and natural language interfaces to shop and manage their finances... More
Verifone deploys mobile API standard
Verifone is deploying a new mobile API standard to improve interaction between mobile payment and loyalty apps in gas stations and convenience stores... More
NXP rebrands Mifare SDK as TapLinx
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has updated its Mifare SDK and changed the name of the developer tool to TapLinx... More
Android Pay heads to the web
Android Pay will soon be available as a checkout option on mobile websites... More
Estimote adds NFC to BLE Proximity Beacons
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon manufacturer Estimote has added programmable NFC into its new range of Proximity Beacons to make it easier to identify and configure the devices and to enable a range of consumer experiences such as confirming payment, collecting loyalty points and clocking in. More
MintChip launches for in-store and P2P payments in Canada
Canadians can now use the MintChip virtual currency to send and receive money through a P2P mobile app and make payments at participating merchants in Toronto’s Liberty Village neighbourhood by scanning a barcode... More
Google enhances APIs to take Android Pay in-app and to mobile websites
Google has enhanced its APIs to make it “easier than ever” for developers to integrate Android Pay for in-app and web payments with “just a few lines of code”... More
South African community shops to get NFC payments using stickers
South African consumers will soon be able to make payments using an NFC sticker on the back on their mobile phone via a service launched by mobile financial services provider MobiCash and mobile payments platform Boloro... More
Dutch gas stations enable mobile payments with MyOrder
Motorists will be able to order and pay in advance for fuel at 220 Tamoil gas stations in the Netherlands from this summer using their smartphone and a new mobile refuelling feature enabled through MyOrder — the mobile ordering and payment service backed by Rabobank... More