LG CNS is piloting a new payments solution that combines face recognition, a blockchain-based digital currency and AI technology to let shoppers enter an unmanned store, shop and check out — without needing to come into close contact with either employees or POS equipment... More
The increase in the UK contactless transaction limit from £30 (US$37.50) to £45 (US$56.25) has resulted in 43% of in-store transactions valued at between £30 and £45 now being made via contactless payments, Barclaycard reports... More
Impact of Covid-19 on spending behaviour revealed as more Irish consumers using contactless and digital wallets — AIB — “Digital wallet (Apple Pay and Google Pay) spend now accounts for 37% of all in-store transactions by those who are under 25… Contactless using a debit card is the most popular choice of in-store payment method among all age cohorts, except those under 25 where it accounts for 28% of spend.”
Joint industry letter on SCA delay due to Covid-19 — European Payment Institutions Federation — “It is now clear that the Covid-19 crisis has significantly reduced the capacity available to progress SCA development and implementation… The signatories therefore call on the European Commission and the EBA to consider appropriate additional measures and coordination to assist in the smooth transition to SCA in all EU Member States equally. In the light of Covid-19, this should also include the possibility of an at least additional six months for the market to be fully SCA ready.”
The contactless transaction limit in France will be increased from €30 to €50 from 11 May, the date set by the French government for the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown to begin to be lifted... More
The government of Macau is stimulating the local economy by distributing contactless smartcards to residents that come pre-loaded with a credit of 3,000 patacas (US$377.43) that must be spent in local stores by the end of July... More
Digital wallet transactions grew 17% in March 2020, outpacing the average monthly compound growth rate of 6.7% over the past six months, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) reports... More
New Zealand is to progressively roll out a temporary increase in the country’s contactless transaction limit “over the coming days and weeks” — but customers of two banks will miss out “due to technology constraints” unless they order a new card or make use of mobile payments... More
The contactless transaction limit in Switzerland and Liechtenstein is to be temporarily increased from 40 francs (US$41.60) to 80 francs (US$83.21) “in order to protect customers”... More
Customers of Starling Bank are now able to request an additional, specially restricted payment card that can be given to a friend, family member or volunteer shopper “to buy essential items on their behalf”... More
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic “will restrict the growth of MaaS platforms in 2020”, a new forecast from Juniper Research predicts, but MaaS initiatives “will rebound quickly in 2021 as cities re-evaluate their transport strategies”... More
Contactless transaction limits are being increased in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mauritius, Mastercard has announced... More
Belgium is to increase the contactless transaction limit from €25 ($US27.07) to €50 ($US54.54) from 14 April, “to curb the spread of the coronavirus.”... More
The pandemic may result in increased calls to defend the role of cash, moves towards more quickly introducing central bank digital currencies and a structural increase in the use of mobile, card and online payments, a Bank for International Settlements (BIS) research bulletin analysing the likely impact of Covid-19 says... More
UK supermarket chains Asda and M&S Food are making it possible for customers who are self-isolating to prepay online for purchases that volunteer shoppers can then make in-store on their behalf... More
Walmart has updated its mobile app to remove the need for shoppers to make physical contact with a self-checkout station when paying with the retail giant’s QR-based Walmart Pay service... More
US supermarket chain Publix has rolled out contactless payments across its 1,243 stores “to protect the health and well-being of its customers and associates during the coronavirus pandemic… More
An analysis of the global payments industry by McKinsey & Company predicts that Covid-19 will result in a loss of revenues of between US$165bn and US$210bn in 2020 — and sets out “ten fundamental changes to the payments ecosystem that will help all of us find a new normal.” More
Visa and Mastercard are increasing the contactless payment limit in Canada by 150%, from C$100 (US$70) to C$250 (US$176)... More
The Australian payments industry has begun implementing an increase in the country’s contactless payments transaction limit, from A$100 (US$60) to A$200 (US$120)... More