Bitcoin wallet Coinbase has expanded into Australia... More
Mobile payments
US and UK consumers warm to mobile payments, loyalty and coupons
The majority of US and UK consumers (54%) have now used a mobile wallet, research from Urban Airship reveals, with 30% of respondents using them in the past week. More
Venmo enables in-app payments
Users of the PayPal-owned Venmo mobile payments app will soon be able to make purchases in third party mobile apps using the service... More
South Africans to get biometric authentication for card payments
The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) has unveiled a new standardised specification to facilitate biometric authentication on payment cards. More
Apple Pay accounts for 75% of all contactless payments in the US
Apple Pay now accounts for three out of four contactless payments in the US and the estimated number of monthly users is up by more than 450% year-on-year, Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed. More
Australian banks seek stronger negotiating powers with third party mobile wallet providers
A group of Australian banks have submitted an application to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), urging for the right to ensure they are able to “collectively negotiate” with third party mobile wallet providers. More
Absa Bank comes to Facebook Messenger
Customers of Africa’s Absa Bank can now conduct banking transactions through Facebook Messenger using the bank’s ChatBanking feature... More
Mobile-only bank goes live in Germany
Mobile network operator Telefónica Deutschland has launched a mobile-only bank in partnership with Fidor Bank in Germany. The service will allow peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions to be made using mobile phone numbers and will come with a Mastercard debit card for in-store and ATM transactions. More
LTA signs up Mastercard for account-based contactless ticketing in Singapore
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has signed a partnership agreement with Mastercard to begin piloting a new account-based ticketing system that will let commuters pay for their train and bus journeys using their existing contactless debit and credit cards. More
BBA reports UK contactless increase
The annual use of contactless cards across the UK has risen 250%, with £1.1bn spent in March 2016 alone, research released by the British Bankers Association (BBA) reveals... More
Mastercard planning to become a PSP in China
Mastercard is planning to apply to become a payment service provider (PSP) in China this year but is still deciding whether to do so alone or with a partner, according to Reuters... More
PBOC working to regulate QR code mobile payments in China
People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is working to create a system for regulating QR code mobile payments in the country, after it suspended QR code-based services run by third-party payment providers in March 2014... More
Scotiabank gives Apple Pay users 10% cashback
Canada’s Scotiabank is offering its customers a 10% cashback on everyday purchases of up to US$20 whenever the payment is made using Apple Pay... More
PayPal to roll out NFC mobile payments across the US through Visa deal
US consumers will soon be able to make NFC mobile payments using their PayPal mobile wallet at all physical locations across the country that currently accept Visa contactless transactions. More
White paper advises banks on launching Android-based mobile payment services
A 16-page white paper designed to help banks make informed decisions about bringing an Android-based mobile payments service to market is now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre. More
Motorists rewarded for mobile payments at the pump
Motorists using the GC Express gas station in Caro, Michigan, are being offered a free coffee or drink whenever they pay for fuel purchases of US$10 or more with Team One Credit Union’s mobile banking app. More
Marseille gets SMS payments for on-street parking
PARTNER NEWS: Motorists in Marseille, France, will soon be able to pay for the time spent in a parking bay by sending an SMS when they enter and another one when they leave, charging the payment to their mobile phone bill. More
Apple Pay adds 13 US banks
Apple has added a further 13 banks and credit unions to its list of Apple Pay supporting financial institutions in the US... More
Square preparing for European launch
Mobile POS provider Square has incorporated a business called Squareup Europe in the UK, suggesting that the company could be setting itself up for its first European launch... More
Apple promotes Apple Pay with iTunes gift cards
UK and US consumers are being encouraged to sign up and use Apple Pay with a £5 or $5 iTunes gift card at Apple retail stores across both countries... More