Google Pay has launched in Israel with support for cards issued by the country’s major banks and payments card issuers... More
NFC
NFC digital car keys go live for Android users
Android users with a Samsung Galaxy 21 or Google Pixel 6 series smartphone can now lock, unlock and start compatible vehicles using an NFC digital car key stored on their mobile device... More
More than 67m contactless POS terminals shipped in 2020
Annual shipments of NFC-ready POS terminals reached 67.2m units globally in 2020, bringing the total number to 140.5m or 68% of all POS terminals worldwide, according to Berg Insight... More
Westpac expands dynamic CVVs to Android phones
Customers of Australia’s Westpac bank with an Android smartphone will soon be able to make payments using a digital card secured by a dynamic card verification code (CVC) that changes every 24 hours... More
UAE launches blockchain postage stamp with NFC authentication
Emirates Post Group is issuing a set of four “crypto stamps” in both physical and blockchain-enabled digital form that purchasers can authenticate by scanning an NFC chip embedded in the physical version with their smartphone... More
Apple delays rollout of digital IDs in Wallet until early 2022
Apple is delaying the release of the feature that will enable users to store digital identity documents such as their driving licence in Wallet until “early 2022”, updates to its iOS15 and watchOS 8 web pages reveal... More
Researchers use extended-range NFC to develop smart fabric for multiple use cases
Engineers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the US have used extended-range NFC to produce a battery-free smart fabric that could enable items of clothing to communicate with each other and with nearby electronic devices at distances of “more than four feet”... More
British Standards Institute unveils NFC digital ID system for construction products
The British Standards Institute (BSI) has launched a digital object identification (DOI) system that enables users to access information about individual building products and verify their origin and identity at every stage of the supply chain and construction process by scanning an NFC/RFID tag or QR code... More
Researchers develop ultra-thin ‘computer on the bone’ using NFC for bone health monitoring
Researchers at the University of Arizona in the US have developed an ultra-thin NFC sensor that could be directly attached to human bone and enable physicians to monitor a patient’s bone health and healing from fractures and other traumatic injuries... More
More than 700 UK railway stations to get contactless ticketing
Passengers travelling on train services in England will soon be able to make contactless fare payments with their debit or credit card at more than 700 railway stations across the North and Midlands... More
Hong Kong Monetary Authority lays out technical design options for digital HK dollar
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has published a white paper that explores potential technical and design options for issuing and distributing retail central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and proposes a two-tier system as “one possible design” for a digital HK dollar or e-HKD... More
NFC Forum unveils Wayfinding Mark as global identifier for NFC tapping locations
The NFC Forum has launched a series of graphics incorporating a Wayfinding Mark that can be displayed on NFC connected products, labels, devices and other locations in order to show consumers exactly where and how to tap with their NFC-enabled device to ensure “optimal connectivity”... More
Australian liquor store chain adds NFC shelf labels to enhance customer engagement
Consumers purchasing beer, wine and spirits at outlets operated by Dan Murphy’s in Australia can now get product information and read customer reviews about specific products by tapping an NFC shelf label with their smartphone... More
In-vehicle payment transaction volumes to top 4.7bn globally by 2026
Global transaction volumes for in-vehicle payments made directly from vehicle systems without the use of a smartphone will exceed 4.7bn by 2026, up from 87m in 2021, according to a forecast by Juniper Research... More
eBay UK adds NFC-enabled authenticity guarantee for pre-owned luxury watches
UK consumers who purchase pre-owned luxury watches from online auction site eBay can now authenticate their purchase via an NFC chip embedded in a certification card issued with the watch... More
ST adds privacy features and Augmented NDEF to Type 2 NFC tags
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has added two new Type 2 NFC tag chips to its ST25TN series that support privacy features such as digital signatures and are suitable for high-volume use cases including consumer engagement, brand protection and access control... More
Mississippi to pilot mobile ID app for driving licences and Covid-19 vaccination cards
The US state of Mississippi is to pilot a mobile driving licence as a first step towards developing a multipurpose digital ID wallet where residents can store a range of state-issued certificates and licences... More
UK safeguarding scheme protects dementia patients with NFC wristbands
Avon and Somerset Police’s Dementia Safeguarding Scheme is issuing dementia patients in the west of England with NFC wristbands that enable them to be identified and quickly returned to their family or carers should they get lost or go missing... More
Ducati secures e-scooter with NFC
Italian vehicle manufacturer Ducati has launched an e-scooter that can only be started using an NFC-enabled contactless key. More
One in two UK consumers would consider a payments chip implant
Just over one in two (51%) UK consumers would consider making payments using a chip implanted in their hand provided it met certain criteria including medical safety and privacy protection, a new survey reveals... More