Passengers travelling from Ottawa’s Rideau Station can now purchase single-ride adult fares on the Canadian capital’s light rail transit network by tapping to pay with their credit card or mobile wallet at a pilot touchless entry gate... More
Prepaid
Mastercard and Island Pay launch CBDC-linked prepaid card in the Bahamas
Citizens of the Bahamas can now pay for goods and services using a prepaid card that supports the country’s Sand Dollar central bank digital currency (CBDC)... More
Delhi Metro to roll out mobile and contactless ticketing across entire network
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is to implement an upgraded contactless ticketing system across its entire network, enabling passengers to pay for their journeys via QR, an EMV bank card or a RuPay-enabled National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)... More
Covid-19 pandemic cuts demand for plastic cards
The total value of the global plastic cards market has fallen by US$3bn over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number manufactured worldwide falling by 19.7% from 37.1bn in 2019 to 29.8bn in 2020, according to the International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA)... More
Italy promotes cashless payments with 10% rebates for shoppers using cards and mobile apps in stores
Consumers in Italy can now receive an automatic 10% refund into their bank account for cashless in-store payments made using a credit, debit or prepaid card or payment app between now and the end of the year — as long as they make at least 10 digital transactions during the period... More
7-Eleven launches mobile wallet that customers can load with cash in stores
Customers in 7-Eleven convenience stores across the USA can now make contactless payments at the checkout using a mobile wallet that the retail giant has added to its 7-Eleven app... More
Razer pilots prepaid card that lights up when used for contactless payments
Users of Razer Pay, a digital wallet operated by gaming lifestyle brand Razer in Singapore, are taking part in the beta test of a premium prepaid card that lights up whenever a contactless payment is made... More
Edenred adds Apple Pay for UK prepaid cardholders
Holders of Edenred prepaid incentive and rewards cards in the UK can now add their card to Apply Pay and make mobile and online payments for food, fuel, transport, parking and corporate transactions with their iPhone, Apple Watch or other Apple Pay-enabled device... More
Jersey promotes consumer spending at local businesses with prepaid stimulus card
Residents of the island of Jersey can now make contactless payments to local businesses using a prepaid card that is being sent to all eligible citizens as part of a fiscal stimulus package designed to alleviate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic... More
Saskatoon Transit to combine mobile ticketing with Mobility-as-a-Service
Public transport users in the Canadian city of Saskatoon will soon be able to plan their journeys, get real-time updates, pay their fares and connect their bus journeys to complementary door-to-destination transport options in a single app that combines mobile ticketing with Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS).... More
DCBank backs ‘reverse ATMs’ that turn cash into prepaid Mastercards
Canada’s DCBank has partnered with technology supplier XTM to provide shopping malls and entertainment venues with ‘reverse ATMs’ that let customers instantly convert their physical money into a prepaid Mastercard they can then use to make payments at cashless points of sale... More
Octopus lets Hong Kong commuters add their transit card to iPhone and Apple Watch
Octopus transit card holders can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay their fares and make purchases at 35,000 retail outlets across Hong Kong that accept Octopus for payments... More
Costa Rica to introduce national NFC and QR transit ticketing system
Costa Rica has announced plans to implement a national, multimodal transit ticketing infrastructure that includes support for both QR mobile payments and EMV contactless cards and devices... More
Macau distributes stimulus spending via prepaid smartcards
The government of Macau is stimulating the local economy by distributing contactless smartcards to residents that come pre-loaded with a credit of 3,000 patacas (US$377.43) that must be spent in local stores by the end of July... More
UK supermarkets launch digital volunteer shopping cards
UK supermarket chains Asda and M&S Food are making it possible for customers who are self-isolating to prepay online for purchases that volunteer shoppers can then make in-store on their behalf... More
Fitbit Charge 4 launches with NFC contactless payments
The latest health and fitness tracker from Fitbit comes with contactless payments as standard... More
Egypt promotes cashless payments with increased contactless transaction limit, free prepaid cards and mobile wallets
The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has introduced a series of measures designed to reduce the need for citizens to use cash to make payments, including a doubling of the contactless payment transaction limit and free access to both prepaid card and mobile wallet services... More
Corethree lets transportation operators replace prepaid ticket validators with low-cost NFC tags
Transportation ticketing specialist Corethree has introduced a service that enables transit operators to let passengers tap low-cost NFC tags placed on board a bus or other public transport service to activate and validate a prepaid mobile ticket... More
Koho issues metal contactless cards in Canada
Canadian neobank Koho has introduced a limited edition metal card that includes both contact and contactless functionality... More
Alipay lets visitors to China use its mobile payments platform
Tourists visiting China can now use a version of Alipay designed specifically for international travellers to make mobile payments during their trip, Alipay has announced... More