Although the physical version of Apple’s new credit card does not include support for contactless transactions, cardholders will be able to activate it by simply placing it in close proximity to their iPhone, code in the latest iOS beta release suggests... More
iPhone
Survey: Apple Card to boost Apple Pay adoption
iPhone users want the Apple Card — here’s why its appeal could propel Apple Pay — Business Insider — “42% of iPhone users are ‘extremely interested’ in applying for Apple Card… Nearly 8 in 10 customers would be more likely to pay with their phones if they had Apple Card.”
Apple enters financial services market with privacy-first credit card
Apple has launched a credit card to link with Apple Pay... More
Apple Pay expands to transit systems in the US
Apple is expanding its support for transit systems, enabling travellers in the US to use Apple Pay as a replacement for travel tickets... More
Apple to launch ‘credit card paired with iPhone’
Apple, Goldman Sachs team up on credit card paired with iPhone — The Wall Street Journal — “The card will be rolled out to employees for testing in the next few weeks and officially launch later this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The companies hope to lure cardholders by offering them extra features on Apple’s Wallet app, which will let them set spending goals, track their rewards and manage their balances, the people said.”
Analysts: 43% of iPhone users have now enabled Apple Pay
Apple Pay adoption continues to climb — Loup Ventures — “We estimate, based on our survey work as well as the growth in transactions, countries, locations, and banks, that 43% of global iPhone users have enabled Apple Pay. This is up from 36% in Sep-18 and 20% in Dec-17. That implies there are currently 383m Apple Pay users, up 21% sequentially and 135% y/y… We estimate that 24% of US iPhone users have used Apple Pay vs 47% of international users.”
Tesco lets customers use Siri to check their bank balance
‘How do you want to check your balance?’ Tesco Bank lets customers use Apple’s Siri to check their balance — Tesco Bank — “Tesco Bank has today announced changes to its mobile banking app, which will enable iPhone customers to check account balances using Apple’s Siri functionality… To use our new Siri feature within the mobile banking app, customers should first ensure the functionality is enabled on their device. Customers can then turn on Siri within the app by visiting the settings menu.”
Belgian banks roll out mobile payments app that supports both NFC and QR codes
A mobile payments app that supports contactless payment via NFC and both static and dynamic QR codes has been launched in Belgium... More
Temple University switches on support for iPhone campus cards
Students and staff at Temple University in the US can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch as their campus identification card... More
Apple to expand the iPhone’s NFC functionality?
Apple could be set to expand the iPhone’s NFC chip reading capabilities to allow it to be used to read data stored in security chips like those used in passports, comments made by the UK government suggest... More
BMW launches NFC digital keys for X5 and 8 Series cars
Drivers taking delivery of a new fourth generation BMW X5 SUV or 8 Series Coupe this month are the first to be able to use the luxury car maker’s BMW Digital Key option to lock and unlock their car and start their engine with an NFC phone... More
Swiss competition authority forces Apple to agree to make functional changes to Apple Pay
Apple has agreed to make changes to the way that Apple Pay works following an investigation by Weko, Switzerland’s Competition Commission — also known as Comco — which found that the iPhone maker’s NFC payments service can cause issues with the functioning of the Swiss banks’ Twint mobile payment service... More
German savings banks press Apple to open up its NFC chip
Mobile payment: Sparkassen wants iPhone NFC, but no Apple Pay — Heise Online (translation) — “Apple must open the NFC transmission standard to other payment services, the savings bank association has demanded… Sparkasse offers its own mobile payment app, which until now has only been available for Android devices due to Apple’s NFC blockade. ‘Ultimately, smartphone payments should be possible on all devices, without technical hurdles and restrictions, so that customers can easily choose the right solution for them,’ the association argues.”
Australian banks set to abandon Apple Pay boycott
The three ‘big four’ Australian banks that have held out on offering Apple Pay to their customers after losing a bid to force the iPhone maker to open up its NFC functionality could all now be set to adopt the service in the coming weeks... More
Bayern Munich adds NFC ticketing for Apple users at Allianz Arena
Fans of one of Europe’s top soccer clubs will be able to use the NFC functionality in their iPhone or Apple Watch to gain admittance to games at the team’s home stadium from 19 December... More
EU antitrust chief ‘could review’ Apple Pay
EU’s Vestager may investigate Apple Pay if there are formal complaints — Reuters — “EU regulators looked into Apple’s mobile payment service and found it was not market-dominant but they could review it again if they receive formal complaints, Europe’s antitrust chief said on Monday… Critics say that an NFC chip embedded in the Apple iPhone means that Apple Pay is automatically selected when an iPhone user pays for goods and services, barring rival payment methods.”
EU citizens report bugs in UK government NFC passport reading app
People taking part in the pilot test of an NFC app developed by the UK government to make it easy for EU citizens to apply for settled status following Brexit have reported a number of bugs, including multiple issues related to NFC passport scanning... More
Tory Burch unveils smartwatch with NFC payments support
Tory Burch launches its Classic Gigi as the brand’s first touchscreen smartwatch — Tory Burch — “This new piece is a state-of-the-art smartwatch that balances fashion and function with features that include heart-rate tracking, swimproof functionality, payment methods, untethered GPS and more… Powered with Wear OS by Google and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, the new ToryTrack Gigi Touchscreen Smartwatch is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones.”
L’Oréal launches wearable sensor that uses NFC to alert iPhone users to the risk of sun damage to their skin
Beauty giant L’Oréal has launched an NFC-enabled sun safety sensor that measures the wearers exposure to UV light and comes with a companion app that iPhone users can use to tap their sensor to get advice tailored to their skin tone and skin type... More