Central bank launches digital currency in the Bahamas
Citizens of the Bahamas can now make payments and transfers from a digital wallet using the country’s Sand Dollar central bank digital currency (CBDC)... More
Cashless
BBVA begins global rollout of mobile-first credit cards
Customers of BBVA bank in Spain can now apply for a ‘blank’ physical and digital payments card with ‘hidden’ credentials and a dynamic CVV code that can be used in credit, debit or prepaid mode... More
Six in ten US merchants now accept contactless payments
The percentage of merchants in the USA that now accept contactless payments has risen to 58% from 40% last year, while those accepting mobile payments from digital wallets has gone up to 56% from last year’s 44%, according to research released by the National Retail Federation (NRF)... More
Pizza maker teams up with delivery service to let robots make and deliver orders to the door
Consumers will be able to use their mobile device to order a takeout pizza that is both made and delivered to their door entirely by robots using a fully automated, contactless system being developed in California... More
TreeCard launches wooden contactless debit card
Consumers in the USA and “a number of EU markets” can now apply for a debit card made from wood that also comes in a digital form and can be used to make contactless and mobile payments as well as cash withdrawals from banks and ATMs... More
Estonian fuel station installs self-service payments system that replaces need for physical card readers
Drivers in Estonia can now order and pay for their fuel directly from their smartphone at a station equipped with a fully automated cloud-based self-service system... More
Maryville University introduces NFC digital IDs
Students and staff at Maryville University in St Louis, Missouri, in the USA, can now use their mobile phone or wearable device to enter campus buildings, pay for meals or access other on-site services via the university’s digital identification system... More
Canadian retailer vends ready-made meals from contactless kiosks
Consumers in Calgary, Canada, can now order and pay for ready-made meals on their smartphone and then collect their food from an automated contactless kiosk by presenting a barcode shown on their mobile device... More
Pret A Manger pilots contactless charity donations in UK outlets
Customers of Pret A Manger sandwich shops across London and Manchester can now make cashless charitable donations in store using their contactless payment card or mobile device... More
Central banks set out ground rules for digital currencies
A working group set up by seven central banks and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has laid out a set of ground rules for the successful issuance of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)... More
Bank of Korea to test central bank digital currency
The Bank of Korea (BOK) is to issue and circulate a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in 2021 to test its viability as an alternative to cash and other forms of transaction... More
Krispy Kreme pilots contactless doughnut vending machine
Krispy Kreme customers in Charlotte, South Carolina in the US, can now use their mobile device to buy selected variety packs of doughnuts from an automated cash-free vending machine that is in operation 24 hours a day... More
First Bus enables Apple Pay Express Mode for contactless ticketing
Apple Pay users travelling on First Bus services in the UK can now pay for their fares with a tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch without having to authenticate their payment with Face ID or Touch ID... More
Amazon lets customers pay with their palm at two US retail stores
Customers shopping at two Amazon Go outlets in Seattle, USA, can now gain access to the convenience stores and pay for their purchases by simply placing their palm over a contactless palm scanning device installed at the entrance... More
One in five Japanese consumers to make mobile payments in stores this year
The number of people in Japan who use their smartphone to make mobile payments at the point of sale will reach 23.9 million — 21.5% of the population — by the end of this year, up from 19.1 million in 2019, according to an eMarketer forecast... More
Adelaide Metro pilots contactless bank card and digital wallet payments for tram ticketing
Passengers on Adelaide Metro’s tram network can now make contactless fare payments with their credit or debit card or their tap-and-pay digital wallet without needing a metroCARD transit card or using cash... More
French city launches payment card ticketing for groups and individuals
Users of the Bibus public transport network in the Brest Métropole area of France can now use their contactless payment cards to buy tickets on buses, trams and cable cars, transfer from one mode of transport to another at no additional cost, and pay for as many as six passengers with a single card... More
Visa survey finds wide support for tap-to-phone payments
More than half of consumers in the Asia Pacific region would make contactless tap-to-phone NFC payments directly to a merchant’s mobile phone at the checkout “despite solutions not yet being widely available in the region”, according to research released by Visa. More
UAE to launch national digital cash replacement platform that works for both banked and unbanked consumers
Both banked and unbanked residents of the UAE will soon be able to make instant cashless digital payments using a digital cash platform which they can either link directly to their bank accounts or add value to with cash at registered locations... More
Vipps signs deal with Visa to make its mobile wallet platform available to card issuers across Europe
Visa’s client banks and card issuers across Europe will be able to use a platform developed by Norwegian payments app Vipps to launch their own mobile wallets, following a strategic partnership deal signed by the two companies... More
