UnionPay, Huawei and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) have launched a mobile payments service that lets owners of Huawei and Honor NFC phones use a single mobile wallet app to pay at any merchant equipped to accept either contactless or QR code payments... More
The Central Bank of The Bahamas has extended its central bank digital currency pilot to the island of Abaco and revealed that the new Sand Dollar currency will include support for offline functionality... More
Apple’s new CarKey service will make it possible for a digital car key to be shared using the Messages app, the second beta release of iOS 13.4 shows... More
Mastercard is working with transport operators on the development of new biometric ticketing solutions that will make it possible for passengers to be automatically identified as they board a service, the payments network has revealed... More
Developers and researchers can now make their own Fido-compliant NFC, Bluetooth and USB hardware security keys using new open source software developed by Google... More
A family-run vineyard in Italy has become the first in Europe to use NFC-equipped screw caps on its bottles to protect buyers from counterfeit wines... More
Biometric cards equipped with built-in fingerprint sensors have the potential to make payments both safer and easier, but the technology is still new and there are critical elements that need to be put in place to ensure widespread adoption, NXP explains in a white paper now available to download from the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More
Biometrics to secure $2.5tn in mobile payments by 2024 — Juniper Research — “Biometric authentication will be used to secure US$2.5tn worth of mobile payment transactions by 2024, an increase of almost 1,000% on the US$228bn expected to be transacted through the method by the end of 2019.”
Apple Pay’s Express Transit mode working in parts of London Underground — MacRumors — “Apple Pay’s Express Transit mode has been functional on at least some tube and bus routes in London since last Tuesday or so, according to multiple MacRumors readers… Express Transit mode eliminates the need for users to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode or even wake their device when they pay for rides with Apple Pay.”
Upmarket sneaker brand Golden Goose is including NFC tags in its new Yeah sneakers, to provide buyers with the ability to validate the authenticity of their €410 purchase... More
A new digital identity service to be introduced by the French government this year will use NFC passport reading to enable citizens to use their smartphone to securely enrol themselves onto the system... More
NFC tags that include support for digital signatures can provide protection against counterfeiting and grey market goods right through the supply chain — from the factory, through the distribution chain to the retailer and the consumer — chip maker STMicroelectronics explains in a white paper now available to download from the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More
PARTNER NEWS: “By adding transparency, security, and traceability, blockchain can make supply chains faster and more efficient, especially when originality and provenance are key concerns,” NXP explains in a new blog post... More
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has agreed to give card issuers and merchants an extra 18 months to implement Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), the new customer identity verification regulation which forms part of the EU’s revised Payment Services Directive II (PSD2)... More
The US Army is looking to replace its current smartcard-based Common Access Card (CAC) with “wireless, lightweight, flexible and rugged” wearable contactless identity tokens that can be inserted into a soldier’s pocket, attached to a sleeve or integrated into a wristband... More
OCBC Bank is first in Singapore to enable cash withdrawals at ATMs using QR codes — OCBC — “OCBC Bank customers can withdraw cash by just scanning a QR code using the OCBC Pay Anyone app, then authenticating the transaction via fingerprint, faceprint or mobile banking login credentials… Using a QR code instead of keying in a PIN is more secure because biometric authentication can be chosen, a more robust security feature than a PIN that can be revealed or stolen. Further, a physical ATM card can be skimmed while a mobile device cannot.”
NXP’s Secure Processing Module — First dual-interface biometric product to receive Mastercard CAST certificate — NXP — PARTNER NEWS — “NXP’s new Secure Processing Module for fingerprint-on-card technology is the first of its kind to receive Mastercard’s prestigious CAST (Compliance Assessment and Security Testing) certificate… Now that we’ve passed Mastercard’s rigorous security review, we can move ahead with our product release, targeted soon.”
Saudi banks trial blockchain-based identity technology at ATMs — Computer Weekly — “The Saudi Arabian trial will enable local consumers to use their faces and blockchain-based apps to withdraw money from cashpoint machines instead of PINs. The ID authentication prototype, currently under test, can communicate across banks and uses blockchain to confirm an individual’s identity without accessing the bank’s database.”
Opinion of the European Banking Authority on the elements of strong customer authentication under PSD2 — European Banking Authority — “In order to avoid unintended negative consequences for some payment service users after 14 September 2019, CAs [national competent authorities] may decide to work with PSPs [payment service providers] and relevant stakeholders, including consumers and merchants, to provide limited additional time to allow issuers to migrate to authentication approaches that are compliant with SCA [strong customer authentication].”
“Mastercard is working with Crédit Agricole Payment Services on a biometric card pilot for 200 customers in Touraine and Poitou, who will trial the card which features an integrated fingerprint sensor... More