Barclays is rolling out a service which will enable customers to collect points from different retailers’ loyalty schemes when they pay with their Barclays bank card... More
Barclays links retail loyalty programmes to payments cards
Loyalty
NXP and Identiv announce breakthrough in NFC tag pricing
PARTNER NEWS: A new NFC tag inlay, jointly developed by NXP and Identiv, is now available to order at an “unrivalled” price of US$0.05 per unit, “enabling a new generation of smart products across a wide range of end markets where NFC may have been previously considered price prohibitive.”... More
Monzo lets customers collect and track digital receipts and loyalty rewards
UK challenger bank Monzo has rolled out a service allowing customers to collect digital receipts and loyalty rewards within its app... More
Honda to leverage in-car payments for driver rewards program
Honda Dream Drive to deliver next-generation infotainment, commerce, services and rewards to drivers and passengers — Honda — “Since 2016, Honda has worked with Visa to build and enhance the in-vehicle payment experience to make payments more convenient and secure. Now, Honda is expanding its in-vehicle payment collaboration to include Mastercard and PayPal… Honda Developer Studio is user testing a new points-based rewards program to benefit drivers and passengers for using Honda products and services. Drivers and passengers can earn rewards points for participating in a variety of activities including purchasing services, watching and listening to media, and playing games.”
National Bank of Oman lets customers pay with points at the POS
National Bank of Oman customers can now shop with Nuqati points — Albawaba — “Customers can now use their Nuqati points at a wide selection of shops to buy items ranging from coffee to groceries to electronics… Customers can redeem points online, through the NBO mobile app or in-store. After entering their PIN or tapping their contactless payment cards, customers will have the option of choosing to pay in Omani rials or Nuqati points.”
IndusInd Bank introduces card with built-in buttons that lets customers select from multiple payment options at the point of sale
Customers of India’s IndusInd Bank can now apply for Nexxt, a bank card that features three built-in buttons which the cardholder can use to choose between charging a purchase to their credit card account, taking out a loan or paying for the item with their reward points balance... More
Deutsche Bank unveils loyalty-first mobile wallet venture
Deutsche Bank has launched Yunar, a wholly-owned subsidiary startup that is taking a loyalty-first approach to building out a fully featured mobile wallet by initially offering a simple way to manage up to 200 loyalty points schemes — and then gradually adding a range of mobile payments and banking services as adoption takes off... More
7-Eleven pilots mobile self-checkout in 14 US stores
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven is piloting a mobile self-checkout service in 14 stores in the Dallas area, just two months after it began accepting contactless and mobile payments across its 8,000+ US stores... More
Mastercard to let cardholders pay with loyalty points at any Mastercard merchant
Mastercard’s Pay with Rewards service is to relaunch at the end of this year with a new app that will allow cardholders to pay with the points or miles they have collected from any card, airline, hotel or retail rewards program that has signed up to use the service at any Mastercard merchant worldwide... More
ST unveils turnkey payment solution for smartwatches and wearables
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has partnered with wearable transactions specialist Fidesmo to provide smartwatch and wearable device makers with a single payment system-on-chip (SoC) solution that comes with built-in support for Mastercard payments... More
Barclays pitches watch makers on the benefits of wearable payments
Adding payments capabilities to watches and fitness trackers deliver benefits beyond simply meeting customer demand for new and innovative products, Barclaycard’s Adam Herson says... More
HID Global expands investment in NFC brand protection solutions
PARTNER NEWS: HID Global is increasing investment in its NFC-based Trusted Tag brand protection service and expanding its network of solution providers around the world... More
Survey: Merchants are winning the US mobile wallet adoption battle
Merchants winning the battle for mobile wallet supremacy — Javelin Strategy & Research — “In the rush to market, the main wallet value proposition, paying at the POS, wasn’t particularly compelling. In reality, loyalty and rewards will drive adoption, something merchants are doing particularly well,” said Krista Tedder, director of payments at Javelin Strategy & Research.”
General Motors lets Buick drivers pay for fuel from their dashboard
Buick delivers peace of mind at the gas pump — General Motors — “A new update to Marketplace brings ExxonMobil’s pay for fuel functionality right to the infotainment screen of eligible Buick vehicles… The platform also automatically syncs drivers to their ExxonMobil Speedpass+ app account, and drivers accumulate rewards points with each purchase. The new service is available at more than 11,000 Exxon or Mobil stations across the United States.”
Coles Supermarkets picks Rambus’ Unified Payment Platform to ‘revolutionise retail in Australia’
PARTNER NEWS: Australian supermarket giant Coles, one of the country’s largest retail groups, is to adopt Rambus’ Unified Payment Platform, an omnichannel commerce and payments solution that lets retailers offer a standalone or integrated mobile wallet application that supports credit cards, gift cards, loyalty points, coupons and receipts... More
Singapore Airlines rolls out blockchain digital wallet that lets customers spend loyalty points in retail stores
KrisFlyer launches innovative miles-based digital wallet, KrisPay — Singapore Airlines — “The SIA Group’s KrisFlyer frequent-flyer programme today launched KrisPay, the miles-based digital wallet which enables members to convert KrisFlyer miles into KrisPay miles instantly for everyday spending at partner merchants… Members can easily turn their KrisFlyer miles into KrisPay miles using the app’s instant top-up function… To pay for purchases, members simply need to scan the KrisPay QR code at the merchant, and key in the amount they wish to pay with their KrisPay miles.”
Alibaba invests in NFC product authentication for brands
E-commerce giant Alibaba has invested in NFC and RFID specialist Smartrac Technology Group and taken a seat on the company’s board... More
Moscow Metro adds loyalty program to Troika transit ticketing card
Public transport users in Moscow can now earn loyalty rewards as they travel and transact around the Russian capital... More
Line Pay aims to convert 1m Japanese merchants to QR payments with free transactions for three years
Japan’s Line Pay throws down gauntlet to Alipay — Nikkei Asian Review — “Line has sought to minimize the hassle for retailers by allowing the retailer to use the service by simply downloading a free app on a smartphone… Retailers can also send messages to individual shoppers later, such as sales promotions. The service can be used free of charge for the next three years… There are also incentives for customers, offering them loyalty points valued at 3% to 5% of every purchase they make with Line Pay.”
Starbucks continues to lead the US mobile payments market
23.4 million US consumers aged 14 and over will use Starbucks’ mobile app to make a purchase at the point of sale at least once every six months this year, research from eMarketer has found... More