Albert Heijn testing ‘tap to go’ technology — Ahold Delhaize — “The technology, which is being piloted at the AH To Go store at Ahold Delhaize’s support office in Zaandam, provides customers with a fast, efficient shopping experience by using a card or, in the near future, a smartphone. After registering via an app, customers can select an item, tap an electronic shelf card, and go. Within 10 minutes, the money will be automatically transferred from their bank account.”
NFC
Safaricom adds NFC payments to M-Pesa mobile money service
Christmas comes early for Safaricom’s mobile app as it receives the much awaited “big” update — Android Kenya — “Safaricom’s mobile application, dubbed mySafaricom, is receiving a huge update… Smartphones with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology should be in a position to transact using M-Pesa 1 Tap, the latest upgrade to M-Pesa that lets users pay for items at retail outlets and elsewhere via a single ‘tap’, much like Android Pay and Samsung Pay are used for in the markets where they are available.”
Calling all payment, card and secure credential technology suppliers
2018 is set to be a pivotal year for banks, card issuers and secure credential providers around the world as new market entrants, regulatory environments and technical innovations place increasing pressure on traditional banking and card issuing business models... More
Rambus forecasts omnichannel tokenization and ‘merchant pay’ as key trends for 2018
PARTNER NEWS: 2018 will see the emergence of omnichannel tokenization, a wealth of new payment use-cases such as connected cars, and the rise of ‘merchant pay’ — retailer issued mobile wallets — according to Rambus... More
Ford gets patent for smartphone key case
Ford patents a smartphone case that turns your phone into a key fob — Ford Authority — “Ford Motor Company was just this week granted a patent on a new type of smartphone case with all the necessary integrated electronics to allow the phone to function as a vehicle key fob… The device would communicate with the encased smartphone through the Bluetooth or NFC (Near Field Communication) protocols, the patent says, giving the user access to a virtual keyfob on the smartphone’s screen.”
Brazil to introduce multifunction driver’s licenses that can be read with an NFC phone
New Brazilian driving licence adopts Cipurse specification from OSPT Alliance — OSPT Alliance — “The technology on the new card has many benefits including allowing law enforcement officers to read the data on the card via an NFC smartphone app, in any location, and quickly coordinate with other agencies across related systems. Additionally, banks can use fingerprint authentication to grant access to services and credit, and local public transportation solutions can also be implemented on the card.”
Trimet to roll out world’s first integration of transit ticketing card with Android Pay
Portland-Vancouver’s Hop Fastpass partners with Google, becoming the first virtual transit fare card available within Android Pay globally — TriMet — “TriMet and Google are teaming up for a first — making Hop Fastpass the first virtual transit card available in Android Pay starting early next year… In December 2017, a select group of TriMet, C-Tran, and Portland Streetcar beta testers will be able to load a virtual Hop card into Android Pay — giving them the ability to tap their phones to pay for their fares and receive all the benefits of a physical Hop card.”
Men’s Health gives positive review to Gymkit with NFC
Apple’s GymKit launches today, promises additional, super accurate gym data — Men’s Health — “A quick boink of the watch near the near field communication port and one tap of the Watch to confirm you want to workout, you’re off. Adjust the pitch of the treadmill and you’ll see your feet climbed rise on the Watch. The real-time, two-way data exchange is impressive, and your equipment workout data will get logged directly into Apple’s Health app, so you can deploy it later as you deem fit.”
First US gym adds support for Apple Watch NFC pairing with exercise machines
Apple Watch GymKit syncing arrives in exactly one US gym — Engadget — “GymKit syncing on the Apple Watch technically arrived with watchOS 4.1, but there’s been one main obstacle to using it: Actually finding a gym that supports it. Only one fitness center each in Australia and the UK have enabled it so far… One solitary gym in New York City, Life Time Athletic at Sky, now has 13 GymKit-capable machines (including treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and stair steppers) that will pair with your smartwatch.”
Samsung integrates Hong Kong’s Octopus card into Samsung Pay
Samsung teams up with Octopus to launch exclusively the first “Smart Octopus” in Samsung Pay — Octopus Holdings — “Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay will enable NFC payment at all Octopus acceptance points, covering public transport as well as over 21,000 retail outlets, online shopping, recreational facilities, vending machines, self-service kiosks; plus the use of parking and access control facilities at residential or commercial premises.”
Nintendo and Kellogg’s add NFC tags to cereal boxes
Special edition Super Mario Cereal boxes with integrated NFC tags are to begin shipping in the US on 11 December... More
Garmin Pay adds support for Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards
Garmin and NXT-ID subsidiary FitPay expand Garmin Pay to Visa accountholders — Garmin and NXT-ID — “Garmin Pay is now available to Visa accountholders from numerous participating issuing banks including Bank of America, Capital One, and US Bank in the United States, and BonusCard, Cornér Bank, ANZ and NAB (National Australia Bank) internationally… Garmin Pay was initially launched in November 2017 for Mastercard accountholders.”
World’s thinnest smartwatch to include support for multiple NFC services
Fidesmo and Haikara collaborate on the future of smartwatches — Fidesmo — “Haikara is the world’s thinnest smartwatch that lasts for up to a week on one charge. It allows you to change your watch face to match your outfit and mood, and it looks great on your wrist. By using Fidesmo’s platform Haikara will enable their customers to pay, access their office building or use public transport.”
Juniper forecasts 375m NFC ticketing users by 2022
NFC mobile ticketing users to reach 375 million users by 2022, despite a slow start — Juniper Research — “The number of mobile users adopting NFC ticketing will exceed 375 million by 2022, up from an estimated 122 million in 2017. While there is rapid growth in NFC ticketing in European markets, Juniper has scaled back NFC ticketing adoption in many other markets, such as the US, India, and Africa, due to the lack of available services and infrastructure.”
Australia’s Bendigo Bank adds Apple Pay
Bendigo Bank announces Apple Pay support in Australia — MacRumours — “Account holders in Australia can now use Apple Pay with their Bendigo Blue Bank cards… Bendigo and Adelaide Bank was one of several banks that lost a fight in March to gain access to the NFC chip used in iPhones so they could offer their own integrated digital wallets to customers.”
Forum publishes updated NFC technical specs
NFC Forum publishes 2017 technical specification release — NFC Forum — “The 2017 Technical Specifications Release comprises 21 new or updated near field communication technical specifications… The specifications feature the latest NFC technology and usability upgrades that significantly impact and advance functionality in a number of key areas for consumers and businesses.”
Meet NFC World’s partners at Trustech
NFC World partners Antelop Solutions, Dejamobile, HID Global, NXP, Okey Co and STMicroelectronics will be at Trustech in Cannes, France from 28 to 30 November... More
UK consumers want to set their own contactless transaction limit
Research – Shoppers keen to set their own contactless card limit — Paymentsense — “Nearly half (48%) of shoppers would like to customise their contactless card transaction limit, or would like to the ability to do so, according to new research from Paymentsense. For those shoppers wanting a customisable limit, just over a quarter (26%) would immediately raise it, but nearly one in five people (18%) would lower it.”
Boston to introduce NFC and contactless transit ticketing
Paying for a ride on the T could look very different in three years — Metro — “The MBTA on Monday moved towards overhauling its fare collection system to eliminate cash from its trolleys and buses and to give riders the ability to pay onboard with a credit card or smartphone… Riders will no longer be able to pay with cash on buses or the Green Line, eliminating transactions that cause delays and frustration for other passengers.”
Apple GymKit with NFC goes live in Australia
GymKit launches today in Australia, automatically sync workout data between Apple Watch and gym equipment — 9to5Mac — “The first gym to feature GymKit-compatible equipment is now up and running in Australia. Users just tap their watches to the treadmill (or other GymKit equipment) using NFC, and they start sending data back and forth automatically… The idea is that the watch and the paired gym machine have better knowledge about different aspects of the workout. GymKit allows that data to be shared back and forth, as appropriate.”