Samsung is preparing to launch its own rewards program that will let consumers earn and redeem points each time they use Samsung Pay... More
Mobile payments
Apple Pay launches in Hong Kong
Apple Pay has launched in Hong Kong with support from Mastercard, Visa and American Express. Participating banks include Bank of China (Hong Kong), DBS, Hang Seng Bank, HSBC and Standard Chartered, with support from The Bank of East Asia (BEA) and Tap&Go “coming soon”. More
Alibaba unveils connected car with Alipay mobile payments
Chinese internet giant Alibaba has unveiled a new “internet car” that will let drivers make mobile payments from their seat using affiliate company Ant Financial’s Alipay mobile payment platform. More
Safaricom pilots M-Pesa NFC cards
Kenyan carrier Safaricom is testing a new PIN-based NFC-enabled ‘Tap-and-Go’ card for its M-Pesa mobile money service... More
Mahindra Comviva introduces Mobiquity Wallet 2.0
PARTNER NEWS: Mobile financial solutions firm Mahindra Comviva has released an updated version of Mobiquity Wallet, a digital wallet platform that launched in March 2014 with support for QR codes, Bluetooth, NFC and host card emulation (HCE). More
Samsung Pay Beta goes live on Gear S2
An update to the Samsung Gear app is adding access to Samsung Pay for the Gear S2 smartwatch... More
Android Pay adds 19 banks
Google has added a further 19 banks and credit unions to its list of US financial institutions that support Android Pay... More
Apple Pay launches in France
Apple Pay has begun rolling out across France with support from both Mastercard and Visa as well as Banque Populaire, Ticket Restaurant, Carrefour Banque and Caisse d’Epargne. Support from mobile network operators Boon and Orange France is also expected “soon”. More
Brazilian mobile bank launches with biometric authentication
Brazilian consumers can now sign up to mobile and online only bank Neon by taking a selfie with their mobile phone... More
Cardless Cash heads to 70,000 additional ATMs
US consumers will soon be able to withdraw cash from 70,000 ATMs belonging to Payment Alliance International (PAI) using their mobile phones through banking and payment technologies provider FIS’ Cardless Cash ATM functionality... More
Masterpass to enable in-store NFC mobile payments
Mastercard has unveiled an enhanced version of its Masterpass digital payment platform, adding in-store NFC mobile payment capability to the service that has so far only been available for online and in-app payments. More
Videotron launches SIM-based NFC mobile payments
Customers of Canadian mobile network operator Videotron with a Desjardins Visa card can now use their mobile phones to make NFC payments of up to $100 (US$77) at any contactless terminal... More
Droplet to close down
UK-based mobile payment and rewards platform Droplet is to be discontinued... More
Canadian NFC mobile wallet SureTap to close down
The SIM-based NFC Canadian mobile wallet SureTap is to be discontinued in August 2016 due to “ongoing changes in the market”, the mobile wallet provider has announced. More
Semble discontinues SIM-based NFC mobile wallet in New Zealand
Semble, the SIM-based NFC mobile wallet launched in New Zealand by two banks, three carriers and payments network Paymark, is to be discontinued, the mobile wallet company has confirmed. Semble says it now aims to “refocus the business to develop and build new services”. More
Samsung Pay to launch in Brazil this month
Samsung Pay will begin rolling out across Brazil on July 19, Samsung has confirmed, making it the first market in South America to introduce the mobile payment service. It will be supported by both MasterCard and Visa as well as Banco do Brasil, Brasil Pré-Pagos, Caixa, Porto Seguro, and Santander. More
Gemalto to secure mobile payments in Japan with DNP
PARTNER NEWS: Digital security giant Gemalto is to supply its Ezio Mobile Suite to financial solutions provider Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) to help the company secure mobile payments, internet banking and related services in Japan... More
Europeans keen to use biometric authentication for payments, says Visa
More than two thirds (68%) of European consumers want to use biometrics as a method of payment authentication, research from Visa reveals, and 73% see two-factor authentication as a secure way to confirm an account holder’s identity. More
Android Pay launches in Australia
Google has begun rolling out its Android Pay mobile payment service in Australia with support from American Express and Visa. The service will be available from 27 banks and credit unions at launch and from an additional seven financial institutions “soon”. MasterCard support is expected “in a few days”. More
TfL to license contactless ticketing system across the globe
Transport for London (TfL) is to begin licensing its contactless ticketing system to other major cities across the globe as part of a deal worth up to £15m with Cubic Corporation’s business unit Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS). More