China is to launch trials of its central bank digital currency (CBDC) in more cities and regions across the country after rolling out a pilot version of the digital yuan wallet app in January and trialling the CBDC during the Beijing Winter Olympics... More
Digital payments
More than one in three in-person payments in Latin America and the Caribbean are now contactless
More than a third of in-person payments made using Visa credentials across Latin America and the Caribbean in December 2021 were contactless (“close to 35%”), a two-fold increase on the same period in 2020, according to Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA)... More
Dejamobile gets PCI CPoC certification for its software POS solution
PARTNER NEWS: Dejamobile has received PCI CPoC certification for its white label ReadyToTap Payment for Merchants solution, enabling merchants around the world to be provided with the ability to accept contactless payments on standard Android NFC devices... More
BIS finds consumers worldwide are switching to digital and contactless payments at ‘unprecedented rate’
Consumers in key markets around the world have switched from physical cash to digital and contactless payment methods at “a rate unprecedented” since the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) launched its Red Book of payment and settlement statistics in 2004, BIS says... More
IMF reports on digital currencies
Around 100 countries are now exploring the potential development and issuance of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), and the challenges and opportunities identified by these research projects reveal a need for “increased international information-sharing of insights learned”, according to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report... More
Google Pay adds in-app personal loans in India
Google Pay users in India can now apply for and receive a personal loan in their bank account via the payment service’s app... More
Entrust to offer digital-first payment solutions via Antelop acquisition
PARTNER NEWS: The acquisition of Antelop Solutions by Entrust will enable the development of more comprehensive solutions for the issuance of both digital and physical payment cards and offer customers “true digital-first payment credentials with physical card synergies that fully align with consumer expectations for simplicity and security,” the companies have revealed... More
EU to propose legislative framework for a digital euro in ‘early 2023’
The European Commission is to launch a consultation prior to proposing legislation that will lay out the legal framework for the ongoing development and potential issuance of a digital euro by the European Central Bank (ECB)... More
Japanese merchants trial face payments for customers wearing a mask
Consumers using 10 restaurants and retail outlets in the Japanese city of Niigata can now test a biometric payments service that lets them authenticate contactless payments with their face even if they are wearing a mask... More
Scotland trials digital micropayments as rewards for recycling plastic
Consumers in Glasgow in Scotland can now take part in a pilot scheme that rewards participants with a micropayment made directly into a digital wallet on their smartphone every time they recycle a single-use plastic bottle... More
Apple to let US merchants accept contactless payments on their iPhone
Merchants in the US will soon be able to accept contactless payments on their iPhone via a “partner-enabled iOS app” without needing to connect their device to a payment terminal or other additional hardware, Apple has announced... More
Carnival adds support for on-shore contactless payments to on-board wearable payments device
Passengers on Princess Medallion Class cruise ships can now use their Princess Medallion NFC-enabled wearable device to make contactless payments at on-shore merchants that support leisure travel giant Carnival Corporation’s Medallion Pay payments service... More
CIH Bank picks Dejamobile for NFC mobile payments
PARTNER NEWS: Morocco-based CIH Bank has launched CIH Pay, a mobile payments service that allows customers to digitize their bank card on their smartphone and use it to make in-store contactless payments... More
One in two in-person Mastercard transactions worldwide are now contactless
One in two in-person transactions authorised, cleared and settled through Mastercard’s payment processing services worldwide during Q4 2021 were contactless, up from “approximately” one in three in the period prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to figures revealed at the card network’s Q4 earnings call... More
Adidas rolls out contactless in-store shopping in the Philippines
Customers using an Adidas store in Manila in the Philippines can now select products, request different sizes and styles to try on and pay for their purchases directly from their smartphone... More
China’s JD.com lets consumers make online payments from digital yuan hard wallets using NFC
Chinese consumers can now make online payments for purchases from the JD.com ecommerce app using digital yuan stored on a physical card or hard wallet via their Android NFC smartphone... More
Russia launches digital ruble pilot with 12 banks
The 12 Russian banks taking part in the first phase of the Central Bank of Russia’s digital ruble pilot scheme have started or are ready to start trialling the central bank digital currency (CBDC) across a range of payment types... More
Google sets out its vision for the future of Google Pay
Google is seeking to focus on developing Google Pay into a multipurpose digital wallet by extending the range of cards, passes and tickets that the service supports and is working with cryptocurrency providers to introduce digital cards that will enable users to store crypto assets but still make payments in conventional currencies... More
US Federal Reserve launches public consultation on digital dollar
The US Federal Reserve has published a study examining the potential benefits and risks of issuing an American central bank digital currency (CBDC) as the first step in a public consultation on the possible future issuance of a digital dollar... More
FBI warns of cybercrime risks as businesses use QR codes ‘more frequently’ during pandemic
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US has released a public service announcement (PSA) warning that “cybercriminals are tampering with QR codes” in order to steal data and funds and is advising consumers to “practice caution” when using them... More