GlobalPlatform enhances secure element deployment for payment-enabled wearables — GlobalPlatform — “Wearables such as smart rings and smart wristbands are bridging the gap between simple cards and feature-rich smartphones by enabling consumers to pay, unlock and travel with a tap,” comments Gil Bernabeu, technical director of GlobalPlatform. “This new configuration standardizes all of this, saving implementers time and money, increasing revenue opportunities and enriching the experience for consumers.”
Contactless
Mastercard to offer contactless biometric payment cards
Pointing the finger at biometric card misconceptions — Mastercard — “Introduced in 2017, the Mastercard biometric card has been piloted in Africa, Europe and the Middle East with additional countries being added this year… We are working on a contactless solution to be ready in early 2019.”
National Trust builds contactless donation terminals into art works
Tap the past to preserve the future — National Trust for Scotland — “We’ve created beautiful replicas of a couple of the Trust’s most famous artefacts — to bring contactless to two of our historic locations. The replicas include a 200-year-old bust of Robert Burns at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayrshire, and a historical painting of Colonel William Gordon at Fyvie Castle in Aberdeenshire. Visitors can now simply tap their card on the artworks to make a £2 donation to the Trust and help preserve Scottish heritage for generations to come.”
Forecast: One in two payment cards shipped in 2018 will be contactless
Contactless payment cards forecast to account for over 50% of all cards delivered globally in 2018 — ABI Research — “Contactless payment card issuance is set to hit 1.5bn units in 2018, accounting for over 50% of all payment card shipments delivered globally… Breaking the 50% barrier marks a significant milestone in contactless card migration, where market momentum is expected to continue due to next-generation migration opportunities, most notably in the US, India, South East Asia, and Latin America. These opportunities are helping to push contactless card issuance volumes toward 2.3bn annually by 2022.”
Danske Bank begins wearable payments pilot
Danske Bank testing new wearable payment solution — Danske Bank — “FastPay is Danske Bank’s new payment solution that lets you wear your payment chip in a wristband, on a keyring or on your watchstrap so that you can make contactless payments without having to reach for your card.”
Apple goes live with NFC student IDs at three universities
Apple adds support for contactless student ID cards in Wallet — Apple — “Starting today, students at three universities are among the first to enjoy the convenience of using just their iPhone and Apple Watch to get around on and off campus. At Duke University and the Universities of Alabama and Oklahoma, students can now add their ID card to Apple Wallet and use it to pay quickly and easily for laundry, coffee or lunch, and even get into their dorms, the gym or the school library… Johns Hopkins, Santa Clara and Temple universities will bring the capability by the end of this school year.”
ST adds NFC chips that can control lighting products, motorized appliances, fans, thermostats and more
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has introduced a new range of dynamic tag chips that combine NFC technology with pulse width modulation (PWM) logic to enable a wide range of appliances to be set up or fine tuned at home, in the field or in the factory using either an NFC phone or an ISO 15693 RFID reader... More
NJ Transit to add support for NFC payments
Improving convenience for all, Conduent to bring digital, cashless payment options to NJ Transit — Conduent Inc — “More than 500 ticket vending machines, 200 platform validators and 65 fare gates will be refreshed to accept payments via mobile phones and contactless bank cards. Conduent will also add 2,500 validators on buses so riders can easily tap on to validate or pay their fare.”
ST combines an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM in a single mobile security chip
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has launched the ST54J, a single system-on-chip that lets mobile phone makers cut bill-of-materials costs, reduce PCB space and deliver faster performance by combining an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM into one unit that supports mobile payments, e-ticketing, remote provisioning and more... More
ANZ replaces its goMoney Wallet with Google Pay
ANZ launches Google Pay — ANZ Bank — “Google Pay replaces ANZ’s goMoney Wallet, ANZ’s current Android mobile wallet, which will be phased out from October this year… The move to Google Pay will provide customers with a faster and more reliable way to make contactless payments, particularly on older Android devices. It also allows ANZ to offer an Android mobile payment solution to more customers.”
Contactless collection boxes deliver five-fold increase in donations for London charity
Earnest Labs reveals results of contactless charity donation platform Tap for Change — The Drum — “Tap For Change has transformed our fundraising… It would take years to raise the same amount from people emptying their pockets of loose change, and it would require a logistical army to collect and bank those donations. The technology has also allowed us to successfully approach high street partners where customers don’t handle cash, such as travel agents and estate agents. Those partners would have previously been reluctant to host a coin collection box.”
Apple adds support for Express Card NFC transactions that work even when an iPhone’s battery is almost flat
Apple’s just-published iOS 12 security guide has revealed a new feature which will see owners of the latest iPhones able to conduct some NFC transactions even when the device has all but shut down because the battery needs to be charged... More
Mobile contactless payment volumes to rise by 30% a year to 2022
451 Research’s Global Unified Commerce Forecast uncovers dramatic shifts in consumer spending patterns — 451 Research — “Mobile contactless payments will surpass $1 trillion globally in 2022. Sales executed via mobile contactless payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay are growing at an impressive 30.7% CAGR through 2022. However, they will account for just 1.4% of global brick and mortar retail sales this year and reach only 3.8% by 2022.”
Xiaomi to ship $29 fitness tracker with support for Mi Pay NFC payments
Xiaomi Mi Band 3 NFC version to go on sale on September 19; Total wearable sales exceed 50m — Gizmochina — “The company has officially confirmed that it will begin the sales of the Mi Band 3 NFC edition starting from Sept 19 with a price tag of 199 Yuan (US$29 approx)… Apart from supporting contactless payment POS terminals enabled with NFC, the Mi Band 3 NFC version will support city bus card payments in [as] many as 167 cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Suzhou, Hefei, Xi’an, and Jilin among others in China.”
Tokyo Racecourse to replace betting slips with contactless cards and biometrics
Fujitsu’s cashless betting machines use palm vein authentication to support Japan Racing Organization — Fujitsu — “The betting machines will allow users to place bets without using cash by simply holding their hands out to the machine and using their JRA-Umaca contactless membership card… The purchase information is recorded on the JRA-Umaca card making it unnecessary to print a paper betting ticket, and if they make an accurate prediction, winnings will be paid out to the JRA-Umaca card automatically.”
NFC ticketing pioneer Utah Transit Authority pulls support for contactless payments
General-purpose contactless payments continue to struggle on US transit systems — Digital Transactions — “The Salt Lake City-based Utah Transit Authority, a pioneer in contactless fare payments, has discontinued acceptance of general-purpose contactless mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The UTA also no longer accepts contactless general-purpose payment cards, though such cards aren’t yet common in the United States. Only 112 riders on average used those forms of payment — far less than 1% of UTA’s average of 147,728 weekday boardings as of last December, according to a spokesperson.”
Moscow Credit Bank issues NFC payment rings
Non-contact payment ring of the Moscow Credit Bank — Moscow Credit Bank (translation) — “Visa payment card of the Moscow Credit Bank with support for NFC technology allows you to pay for purchases with one stroke of your hand… To pay for a purchase, it is enough to touch the ring to a terminal that accepts contactless payments. The payment ring is made of impact-resistant waterproof ceramics, so it will become indispensable for athletes and active lifestyle lovers.”
Survey finds contactless payments make it harder for consumers to track their spending
A new survey has revealed that a significant minority of British consumers think that contactless payments lead to them losing track of their spending or laying out more than they intended... More
Fitbit includes NFC payments in special edition Charge 3 fitness trackers
Fitbit launches Charge 3 — the number one fitness tracker, now better than ever — Fitbit — “Leave your wallet at home and use Charge 3 Special Edition devices to make easy and secure payments with Fitbit Pay contactless payments; supported by more than 100 financial institutions in 18 countries.”
Amex tests wearable payments at the US Open
American Express backs card members and fans with innovative benefits at the 2018 US Open Tennis Championships — American Express — “To enhance the overall end-to-end fan experience, American Express will launch new services such as the Amex Band, a contactless payment wristband that allows eligible Card Members to pay for purchases and unlock unique benefits with a tap of the band.”