Customers of Erste Bank und Sparkassen in Austria will now be able to make NFC payments using a wristband, sticker or mobile app launched by the bank. All three payment methods are available countrywide and can also be used to make withdrawals at the first NFC-enabled Erste Bank ATM in Vienna. More
Mobile payments
HDFC Bank to launch mobile payments in India
India’s HDFC Bank is to launch a mobile payment service that will support NFC, host card emulation (HCE) and QR code based payments in order to compete with other mobile payment services that are expected to roll out in the country, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay... More
Mobvoi to add NFC payments to smartwatches in China
Owners of Mobvoi’s Ticwatch will soon be able to make NFC payments at contactless terminals across China as the result of a partnership between the smartwatch maker, China UnionPay (CUP) and Oberthur Technologies (OT). More
Commuters in Helsinki get direct carrier billing for transport ticketing with Gemalto
PARTNER NEWS: Finnish commuters travelling on the Helsinki transport network can now use their mobile phone to pay for public transport beyond the central tram and metro systems and have the cost of the ticket charged to their mobile phone bill... More
Ant Financial takes Alipay to Germany with Concardis
Chinese tourists will soon be able to make payments at 210,000 store locations in Germany serviced by payment provider Concardis using Ant Financial’s Alipay mobile payment platform. The move marks the service’s launch into Europe after the company unveiled its expansion plans at Money20/20 Europe in April 2016. More
Apple Pay’s global impact remains “small”
Apple Pay has “made only a small dent in the global payments market” due to technical challenges, low consumer take-up and resistance from banks, according to a report by Reuters... More
Visa to supply athletes with NFC payment rings at Rio 2016
Athletes at this year’s Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be given an NFC payments ring linked to a Visa account that will let them make purchases by tapping their hand against contactless terminals. More
Samsung Pay makes European debut in Spain
Samsung Pay has begun rolling out across Spain, making it the first European market where the mobile payment service is available. The service has launched with support from CaixaBank and ImaginBank and will also be available for customers of Abanca and Banco Sabadell “soon”. More
Mobile ticketing market to see major growth
The global mobile ticketing market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 16% between 2016 and 2020, according to Technavio... More
Seqr expands in Romania
Raiffeisen Bank has signed an agreement with Swedish mobile payment specialist Seamless to enable its customers in Romania to make payments using the Seqr mobile payments platform... More
Contactless on the increase in Canada
The value of contactless payments made by Canadian consumers increased by around C$30bn (US$22.8bn) in 2015, on the back of more than 1.2bn transactions, Technology Strategies International reveals... More
Square offers weekly payment plan for contactless readers
Square’s contactless chip reader can now be paid for in instalments of US$1 per week for 60 weeks... More
Boku and Verteda take carrier billing to UK venues
UK consumers can now pay for food and drinks at sports and entertainment venues serviced by IT solutions provider Verteda and charge their purchases to their mobile phone bill. The company has integrated the service into its Qjacker mobile payments app through direct carrier billing provider Boku. More
Samsung Pay Mini to launch on iOS
The Samsung Pay Mini online payments app expected to go live in South Korea this month will be compatible with Apple devices as well as Android smartphones, according to ETNews... More
Canadian banks go live with Apple Pay
Customers of Canada’s TD Bank, Scotiabank and BMO Bank of Montreal can now make in-store and in-app payments using Apple Pay... More
Survey reports on use of Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay in the US
More than a quarter of US consumers (27%) with an eligible smartphone have used Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay, according to research released by Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG)... More
Samsung Pay to begin beta test in Singapore
Samsung Pay has invited a “select group of consumers” in Singapore to begin beta testing the mobile payment service ahead of an anticipated launch in Q2 2016... More
Mobile biometrics market to see major growth
The global mobile biometrics market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 103% between 2016 and 2020, research from Technavio predicts... More
Gemalto explores seven myths about mobile NFC
PARTNER NEWS: Digital security giant Gemalto has published a list of the seven most common myths about mobile NFC which explores the reasons why some consumers may not be prepared to use the technology on their mobile device... More
UOB to lift NFC mobile payment limit in Singapore
Singapore’s United Overseas Bank (UOB) will lift the S$100 (US$73) contactless transaction limit for NFC mobile payments at all of its point-of-sale terminals by the end of next year... More