The average number of digital payments made for purchases from vending machines in the US grew steadily during 2019, finally exceeded those made with cash in April 2020 and continued to increase over the course of 2020, a new study shows... More
NFC
US credit union to let customers authenticate banking transactions with mobile driving licence
Utah Community Credit Union (UCCU) is to become the first financial institution in the US state to let its customers use Utah’s mobile driving licence (mDL) as a legal form of identification for all banking transactions... More
Resorts World brings mobile payments to Las Vegas gaming tables
Gamblers at Resorts World Las Vegas in Nevada in the US will soon be able to purchase gambling chips for table games including blackjack, baccarat and roulette, as well as place contactless cashless bets at slot machines, directly from a digital wallet on their mobile phone... More
Visa brings Tap to Phone payments to the US
Retailers and other small business owners in six US cities will soon be able to accept contactless payments on an Android NFC smartphone using Visa’s software-only Tap to Phone solution... More
China Construction Bank pilots biometric cards for digital currency payments
China Construction Bank (CCB) is piloting a biometric ‘hard wallet’ smart card that lets customers store digital yuan and authenticate payments made using the central bank digital currency (CBDC) with their fingerprint... More
ST opens up new markets with affordable NFC transceiver
PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has introduced an NFC transceiver that lets consumer electronics and other device makers add NFC tag reading and card emulation mode capabilities to their products “at a highly competitive price”... More
Coca-Cola gives away mobile wallet credits for ‘free Cokes’ in US restaurants
Consumers in the US can now receive a US$2.50 credit to their mobile wallet that they can use to buy a Coca-Cola beverage at any restaurant that accepts card payments... More
Antelop launches One Digital Card SDK for banks and card issuing processors
PARTNER NEWS: Antelop Solutions has introduced a new solution that makes it possible for banks and card issuing processors to use a single software development kit to add all the very latest digital card features to their mobile banking apps... More
Washington Metro lets Android users add SmarTrip transit cards to Google Pay
Passengers with an Android NFC phone can now make tap-and-go fare payments on public transportation services in the Washington DC area in the US by adding a SmarTrip transit card to Google Pay... More
Apple unveils support for digital keys and IDs in iOS 15
Apple iPhone users will soon be able to store digital versions of their identity documents and a wider range of digital keys in their Wallet app, enabling them to prove their identity and tap to unlock their home, garage, workplace or hotel room with their smartphone... More
Riksbank extends e-krona pilot to real world test environments
Sweden’s central bank The Riksbank is to begin testing its e-krona central bank digital currency (CBDC) with external partners to assess how a digital krona would operate within a real world banking and payments infrastructure... More
Apple eyes alternative payments with new business development role
Apple is seeking to recruit a business development manager to research and form partnerships with “strategic alternative payment providers”, launch “new programs” and contribute to “business strategy and product roadmaps for the growth of Apple Pay and Wallet Services”, a job advertisement posted by the company reveals... More
German savings banks trial digital receipts for NFC smartphone users
Consumers in the Cologne-Bonn area of Germany will soon be able to receive digital receipts on their NFC smartphone for in-store purchases at merchants taking part in a pilot of a new digital receipt service being launched by the Sparkasse group of savings banks... More
Austrian Post adds NFC to blockchain postage stamp
Collectors and investors purchasing a limited edition “crypto stamp” issued by Austrian Post will soon be able to authenticate their purchase by scanning an NFC chip embedded in the packaging of the physical version of the postage stamp with their smartphone... More
UK government unveils plans for digital ticketing across national rail network
Passengers travelling on UK train services are to get more contactless and digital ticketing options across the rail network and will be able to buy tickets and access fare and timetable information via a single integrated website, the UK government has announced... More
Smart inner tube lets cyclists measure tyre pressure via NFC
Cyclists can now fit their bicycle with smart inner tubes that enable them to accurately measure their tyre pressures by scanning an NFC chip embedded near the valve with their smartphone... More
Swift and Accenture lay out requirements for cross border CBDC payments infrastructure
Ensuring that central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are interoperable and integrated with existing payment infrastructures are among the key requirements for their successful implementation in cross border transactions, according to a joint paper published by Swift and Accenture... More
Clipper rolls out support for Google Pay for transit fares in San Francisco Bay Area
Android users can now upload their Clipper transit card to Google Pay, reload their card balance and pay for their fares on 24 transit systems across the San Francisco Bay Area of the USA with their smartphone... More
Android 12 to add support for NFC and UWB digital keys
The next version of Android will include support for NFC and ultra wideband (UWB) digital car keys, enabling users to lock, unlock and start their vehicle from their mobile phone... More
England rolls out digital vaccine certificates on NHS app
Residents of England who have been inoculated against Covid-19 can now use the National Health Service’s NHS App to access a digital certificate confirming their vaccine status on their iOS or Android device without needing to request certification from their GP... More