The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on the expected impact of a digital euro on key industries, institutions, consumers, merchants and other stakeholders in international trade... More
Contactless
Apple Pay goes live in Moldova
Apple Pay has launched in Moldova with support for Mastercard and Visa cards issued by Maib, Moldindconbank and Victoriabank... More
Contactless P2P payments to drive adoption of digital euro, central bank survey finds
European consumers consider the ability to make instant contactless payments, including person-to-person transfers, to be a priority and “a very important selling point” for a digital euro, according to European Central Bank (ECB) research... More
Apple files patent application for game controller that connects to iPhones via NFC
Apple has filed a patent application for a “magnetically attachable gaming accessory” that “can provide a physical interface controlling game activities on an electronic device” such as an iPhone or iPad and would use NFC to transmit data to that device... More
Apcoa lets drivers make contactless parking payments from their cars at 1.5m spaces across Europe
Drivers can now enter and exit Apcoa car parks in 13 European countries and make in-car payments for their parking via their vehicle’s infotainment screen without needing to collect a ticket or stop at a pay station... More
US record label uses NFC to authenticate and link vinyl albums to digital NFT assets
Music fans, investors and collectors who purchase exclusive limited edition vinyl albums released by US company Vinylkey can authenticate their purchase, register proof of ownership and link to unique digital assets by tapping an NFC tag embedded in the physical album with their smartphone... More
Qatar and the Philippines move towards developing CBDCs
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is to launch a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot project “in the near term” and the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is also exploring the possible development of a CBDC in line with its wider payment digitisation plans... More
Automated kiosk lets customers order contactless burgers in New Jersey
Consumers in Newark, New Jersey, in the US can now purchase “contactless burgers” that have been cooked by a robot from an automated kiosk in the Newport Centre shopping mall... More
New EU law to force Apple to open up its NFC chip?
Negotiators from the European Parliament and the European Council have provisionally agreed the text of a Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will obligate “gatekeeper” technology companies such as Apple and Google to “allow app developers fair access to the supplementary functionalities of smartphones (eg NFC chip)”... More
Apple Pay and Google Pay suspend contactless mobile payments for Mir cardholders in Russia
Apple Pay and Google Pay are suspending support for contactless mobile payments made using Mir cards issued by Russia’s National Payment Card System (NSPK)... More
Bangladesh switches on support for contactless debit and prepaid cards
The central bank of Bangladesh has announced that it has added approval for contactless debit and prepaid card payments in a circular that also sets a PIN-free transaction limit of Tk3,000 (US$35) and requires card issuers to notify customers of each transaction via SMS... More
Hindu temples pilot contactless payments in India
Devotees will soon be able to make contactless offerings and other charitable payments at some 536 Hindu temples across India using a QR code-based payment system being piloted by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department... More
JustKitchen to pilot smart lockers for contactless food delivery in Taiwan
Employees at Panasonic Taiwan’s head office in New Taipei City will soon be able to order and pay for meals online and collect them from on-premises contactless smart lockers by scanning a unique QR code... More
Apple adds NFC car key support for Hyundai and Kia vehicles
Apple users purchasing the 2022 models of Hyundai’s Genesis GV60 and G90 and Kia’s Niro cars will be able to lock, unlock and start the vehicle using an NFC digital car key stored on their iPhone or Apple Watch... More
Holland America Line lets cruise passengers check in with their face
Passengers on Holland America Line cruise ships will soon be able to check in before embarkation with their face using contactless biometric face verification technology and confirm their health status with a digital version of their Covid-19 vaccination certificate or test results stored on their mobile device... More
MBTA to add open loop contactless ticketing and digital transit card
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the US is to expand its fare payments system to enable passengers to pay for their journeys with a contactless credit card, mobile wallet or a digital version of their CharlieCard transit card... More
Apple digital driving licences and IDs go live in Arizona
Apple users in Arizona are the first in the US to be able to add digital versions of their driving licence and state ID documents to Wallet and use them to verify their identity by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch at selected Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security checkpoints... More
Banks develop interoperable platform for cross-border CBDC transactions
The Bank of International Settlements and the central banks of Australia, Malaysia and Singapore have completed a joint project to develop a shared platform that could facilitate direct cross-border transactions between institutions using different central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)... More
Houston to expand mobile ticketing options
The Metropolitan Transit Authority in Houston, Texas, in the USA is planning to enable passengers on its bus and light rail services to pay their fares with their mobile device as well as with a contactless transit card or via its mobile ticketing app when it upgrades its fare collection system... More
RTC adds support for contactless EMV card fare payments
Passengers on Regional Transport Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) buses in the Las Vegas valley area of the USA can now make contactless fare payments by tapping their EMV payment card on an onboard validator... More