The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has begun a public consultation on the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that would allow citizens to use “mobile devices and other media” to make payments using a digital ruble... More
Passengers who use their Opal transit card to pay for transport fares in the Australian state of New South Wales are to take part in a pilot of a digital version of the card which is set to go live before the end of this year... More
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
Drivers refuelling their vehicles at Exxon and Mobil fuel stations across the USA will soon be able to make seamless contactless payments at the pump with their Apple or Android mobile device simply by tapping an NFC sticker or by using the camera to scan a QR code printed on it... More
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
China’s ‘red envelope’ lottery giveaway of digital yuan to 50,000 residents of Shenzhen resulted in 62,788 transactions with a total value of 8.764m yuan (US$1.32m) during the week-long central bank digital currency (CBDC) test in the city... More
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
Passengers using public transport in the Kazakhstan capital of Nur-Sultan will be able to pay for their tickets by showing their face to an on-board camera from the beginning of next year... More
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
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
The Russian government is expected to adopt a law that will enable Russian consumers to use face and voice recognition to authenticate in-store payments in shops, cafes and other retail outlets by the end of 2020, Izvestia reports... More
Nearly two million Shenzhen residents, representing 15% of the city’s population, signed up for a chance to win 200 digital yuan (US$29.65) in the ‘red envelope’ lottery held as part of China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot... More
Users of Razer Pay, a digital wallet operated by gaming lifestyle brand Razer in Singapore, are taking part in the beta test of a premium prepaid card that lights up whenever a contactless payment is made... More
Audi drivers in North America will soon be able to use a factory-installed RFID module to make in-vehicle toll payments across the country... More
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
Customers of Turkish bank Garanti BBVA can now apply for a mobile-first credit card which combines a mobile wallet that supports QR and mobile payments with a ‘blank’ physical card that comes without a printed credit card number, expiration date or CVC code printed on it... 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
The introduction of a digital euro “would support Europe’s drive towards continued innovation”, “strengthen the international role of the euro” and provide consumers with “free access to a simple, universally accepted, risk-free and trusted means of payment”, according to a new report published by the European Central Bank (ECB)... More
Google Pay users in Singapore can now divide bill payments between groups of family and friends, book cinema tickets and receive rewards via virtual scratchcards... More
Passengers on Dubai’s public transport network using a Nol transit card to pay for their journeys can now top up the card from the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority’s S’hail travel app... More
