Users of Payconiq-supported mobile payment apps in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg can now make QR-enabled mobile payments and P2P transfers across all three Benelux countries... More
JPMorgan Chase’s JPM Coin digital currency is now being used commercially for cross-border payments by “a large international technology company”, the US banking giant’s Takis Georgakopoulos has told CNBC... More
Swedish consumers could be able to make and receive low-cost instant cross-currency transactions to and from any euro area country via the Target Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) platform once the Swedish kronor joins the platform in May 2022... More
Users of Octopus transit cards in Hong Kong could soon be able to pay for public transport fares in mainland China, with the ability to make payments for purchases at stores across the country to follow, the company’s outgoing CEO has told the South China Morning Post... More
Kakao Pay and AlipayHK to become available at PayPay merchants from April 27, 2020 — PayPay — “Users of code payment services Kakao Pay and AlipayHK, in addition to Alipay, will be able to complete payments using QR codes provided by PayPay merchants anywhere in Japan as of the 27th of April.”
The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Sveriges Riksbank and the Swiss National Bank, together with the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), are to work together “to assess potential cases for central bank digital currencies”... More
Developing cross-border ticketing in public transport networks — Intelligent Transport — “Based on the concept of account-based ticketing, nationally differing ticketing systems can be linked without the need to change existing national standards. Key to the success of this is letting different systems coexist, but while introducing an interoperable layer that can connect the different existing national systems.”
EZ-Link and Touch ‘N Go to introduce dual currency cross-border combi card — EZ-Link — “A first in Southeast Asia, the Combi Card will securely host both electronic wallets from EZ-Link and Touch ‘n Go. Targeted for launch in quarter four 2019, the card will first allow users to pay for urban mobility in both countries… To date, EZ-Link has issued about 30 million Cepas EZ-Link cards in Singapore and Touch ‘n Go has more than 23 million active Touch ‘n Go cards in circulation in Malaysia.”
UAE and Saudi Arabia announce launch of common digital currency ‘Aber’ — Emirates 24/7 — “The United Arab Emirates Central Bank (UAECB) and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) today announced in a joint statement the launch of the common digital currency project ‘Aber’, which will be used in financial settlements between the two countries through blockchains and distributed ledgers technologies.”
Singtel Dash goes global with Visa and Apple Pay — Singtel — “Singtel is expanding the payment capabilities of its all-in-one mobile payments app, Dash, to include international mobile payments. Dash customers are now able to use their Visa Virtual Account on the Dash app at millions of online retailers worldwide and merchant points that accept Visa contactless payments. In addition, customers can also use Dash on Apple Pay, making it the first non-bank mobile wallet in Singapore on Apple’s easy, secure and private payments system.”
Taiwan Cooperative Bank completed Taiwan’s first standardized QR code payment in partnership with Visa — Visa — “By adopting the EMV QR Code Specification, as supported by Taiwan’s two large domestic payment switches, consumers can enjoy a fast, convenient and secure payment experience. The specifications are intended to be globally interoperable; and with the right mobile application local consumers as well as overseas travellers will be able to use the same QR code to make payments everywhere the specifications have been adopted.”
Singtel and AIS debut Via, Asia’s first cross-border mobile payment alliance — Singtel — “The Via alliance is the first initiative of its kind to connect both telco and non-telco mobile wallets across borders to create a region-wide payment network that will enable consumers to use their local mobile wallets when travelling. The Singtel Group will progressively expand this alliance to include other regional associates Airtel in India, Globe in the Philippines, Telkomsel in Indonesia, working within each country’s regulations, and non-telcos including China’s Ping An eWallet.”
Cross-border digital identification for EU countries: Major step for a trusted Digital Single Market — European Commission — “As of 29 September, the EU-wide legislation on the electronic identification (eIDAS Regulation) will enter into force enabling cross-border recognition of the electronic ID and allowing citizens and business to share their identity data when necessary. People will be able to use their electronic ID (eID) such as ID cards, driver licenses, bank cards and fill tax returns online, access medical records and online public services across the EU.”
LG U+ to offer blockchain-based overseas payment service — The Korea Herald — “Once the service is launched, LG U+ subscribers will be able to buy things at selected retailers using their mobile phones when they travel to Taiwan and Japan. Far EasTone subscribers will also be able to enjoy the same convenience when traveling to Korea and Japan. The service uses direct carrier billing, enabling transactions to be billed and paid through their carrier in their home currency.”
Banks are building a super-speed money highway in the Nordics — Bloomberg — “The P27 project — so-called for the 27 million people who live in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland — will build on the success of smartphone payment applications that Nordic banks have already created, like Swish in Sweden, Norway’s Vipps, and MobilePay in Denmark… The aim is to make it possible to clear payments and settle accounts within seconds, regardless of currency.”
KNOWLEDGE CENTRE: Biometric sensor-on-card solutions, where a fingerprint sensor is built into a standard EMV card, “represent an important step forward for the finance industry, opening the way to eliminating fraud for issuers and cardholders, reducing costs and providing the additional security and identity verification required to support remote or cross-border transactions,” the authors of a new white paper conclude... More
Banking services now more accessible with Shoprite Money — Shoprite — “This new service will enable customers to deposit, withdraw or send money as well as buy groceries at any of the till points in all Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper or Usave stores across South Africa… Shoprite Money is set to roll out in multiple countries in Africa over the next 12 to 18 months, which will hold additional benefits for customers including seamless and cost effective cross-border remittance.”
AirAsia is entering the digital payments race — Tech in Asia — “The driving factor behind AirAsia’s move into fintech was a realization that it could monetize the wealth of ‘high resolution data’ it has collected from around 63 million passengers over its 16 years of operation… The eventual plan is for AirAsia customers to be able to use their BigPay e-wallets on the ground too, using the app to pay third-party merchants and potentially cutting the cost of currency exchange rates as they cross from one Southeast Asian country to another.”
Singtel to launch mobile wallet tie-up with regional associates — The Straits Times — “The Singtel Group plans to roll out mobile wallet interoperability across its network of regional associates in Asia by mid-2018… Mobile wallet customers of Singtel and the group’s various associate telcos would then be able to make cashless payments in their home currency, using their home telco’s app, at physical merchants while abroad… Singtel’s goal is to bring the Philippines’ Globe, Indonesia’s Telkomsel and India’s Airtel on board from the second half of 2018 onwards, pending regulatory approval. Regulators have already given the green light for the partnership between Singtel’s Dash payments app and Thai counterpart myAIS.”
PCCW Global and DHQ Tech to explore multi-currency Tap & Go mobile payment technology — HKT — “Our collaboration with DHQ Tech will enable Tap & Go users to pay for goods and services regardless of where in the world they originate from, or in which currency they wish to pay… Tap & Go is uniquely positioned to overcome all the hassles associated with making payments between currencies, and we expect ease of operation to deliver real benefits for regional trade and tourism.”