The Car Connectivity Consortium is to complete its specification for Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and ultra wideband (UWB) digital keys that enable drivers to unlock and start their vehicles without needing to take their mobile device out of their bag or pocket “by the middle of 2021”... More
NFC
Apple rolls out AirTags for locating and tracking personal items
iPhone users will soon be able to attach tags to their keys, wallets, bags and other personal items that use NFC, ultra wideband (UWB) and Bluetooth technology to enable them to easily locate their belongings with their smartphone... More
German savings banks roll out contactless card acceptance on standard NFC phones
Merchants in Germany can now accept PIN-free contactless payments on their Android NFC smartphone without needing extra acceptance technology using a software point of sale (sPOS) solution launched by the Sparkasse group of savings banks... More
UK Treasury and Bank of England launch CBDC taskforce to explore digital currency options
The UK Treasury and the Bank of England have established a central bank digital currency (CBDC) taskforce to coordinate research into the benefits, risks and practicalities of introducing a digital pound... More
Octopus to let Hong Kong cardholders pay for transit fares in mainland China
Octopus users in Hong Kong will soon be able to pay for public transport fares in more than 300 cities in mainland China with a new physical transit card to be launched “by the end of this year or early next year”, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report... More
Opera chooses Antelop to enable NFC digital card payments for Dify users
PARTNER NEWS: Opera has selected Antelop Solutions as a long-term digital payments partner, enabling users of its new Dify in-browser cashback and digital wallet app to activate a Dify digital debit card in Google Pay and use it to make NFC payments in stores... More
Stats show regional variations in UK adoption of contactless and mobile payments during pandemic
The number of payments made using Apple Pay and Google Pay increased by nearly 650% and the number of PIN-free contactless card transactions grew by more than 10% in certain regions of the UK, according to figures published by merchant payments provider Dojo... More
San Francisco MTC lets passengers pay fares with Clipper on iPhone and Apple Watch
Passengers on 24 public transportation systems in the San Francisco Bay Area of the USA can now add their Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Clipper stored-value transit card to Apple Wallet and use their iPhone or Apple Watch to make contactless payments for bus, train and ferry fares... More
ECB survey reveals Europeans expect digital euro to be private, secure and easy to use
More than two-fifths (43%) of Europeans rank privacy as the most important feature of a digital euro central bank digital currency (CBDC), with 18% citing security, 11% the ability to pay across the eurozone, 9% the lack of additional costs and 8% offline usability, according to a European Central Bank (ECB) survey... More
Hong Kong and Macau to distribute stimulus payments to citizens’ digital wallets
The governments of Hong Kong and Macau are to stimulate consumer spending by distributing digital payment vouchers that residents can store in their mobile wallets or on a prepaid smartcard and then use to make purchases from retailers and other local businesses... More
Russia to create digital ruble prototype by December
The Central Bank of Russia will build a prototype central bank digital currency (CBDC) by December 2021 using a two-tier structural model unveiled by bank representatives at a press conference... More
Fidesmo Pay launches in Russia
EXHIBITOR NEWS: Fidesmo is rolling out its Fidesmo Pay wearable payments service in Russia with support from eight of the country’s leading banks, enabling their customers to upload their bank cards to NFC-enabled wearables and use them to make contactless payments... More
Google promotes mobile payments in the US with $30 Spring Challenge
Google Pay users in the US can now earn a US$30 reward by completing actions including making NFC tap-to-pay transactions, paying or referring friends, and redeeming cashback offers during a 10-day promotion... More
Apple seeks NFC digital identity patent
Apple has applied for a patent for a user authentication framework that would allow users to store digital identity documents such as their passport, driving licence and national ID card and present them for verification on their NFC-enabled iPhone or other mobile device... More
Long Island University rolls out NFC digital ID cards for students and staff
Students and staff at Long Island University in New York State in the US can now gain entry to campus facilities and make purchases at on-campus food outlets and other stores by tapping a digital identity card stored on their NFC-enabled Apple or Android device... More
Utah to pilot NFC and QR code-enabled mobile driving licences
The US state of Utah is to pilot a mobile driving licence (mDL) that will enable drivers to provide digital proof of their identity, licence status and age by tapping their mobile device on an NFC reader or by showing a QR code for scanning... More
Patent shows how Apple Pay could automatically select a card based on the user’s location
Apple Pay users could be able to make contactless payments and other transactions with merchants or transit providers without having to manually select the correct payment, rewards or transit card or other digital credential from within their mobile wallet... More
Turkey mandates use of NFC identity checks for remote bank account opening
Consumers in Turkey wanting to open a bank account remotely will be able to do so via a video-based digital onboarding system that requires them to verify their identity using an NFC-enabled ID document, according to a new regulation issued by the country’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA)... More
Ypsomed leverages NFC to enable remote monitoring of insulin delivery compliance
NFC labels attached to disposable insulin pens are enabling diabetes patients who self-administer regular insulin injections to ensure that they adhere to their therapy plans as well as receiving interactive guidance and assistance with their treatment... More
Visa reports 1bn extra contactless transactions in Europe since payment limit rises
Visa has processed 1bn additional PIN-less, touch-free payments since 29 countries across Europe increased contactless transaction limits in response to the Covid-19 pandemic last year, the card network reports... More