More than half (53%) of today’s shoppers have used a mobile contactless payment option for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a survey by USA-based Inmar Intelligence... More
Retail
China to maintain central database of all digital currency transactions
The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) will keep a database of all transactions made using the digital yuan, China’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), according to China Daily... More
Saudi Arabia reports ‘phenomenal’ increase in NFC mobile payments
NFC mobile payments accounted for 25% of overall POS transaction volumes in Saudi Arabia in September, Saudi Payments reports... More
Japanese café uses Apple’s new NFC App Clips to let customers order and pay with their mobile phone
Customers at the Kitasando Coffee shop in Tokyo can now tap an NFC tag with their iPhone to launch the company’s App Clip, place their order and then use Apple Pay to pay for their food and drink... More
Coca-Cola to roll out contactless drinks vending machines across the US
All 52,000 Coca-Cola Freestyle soda fountains across the USA will allow customers to order and pay for their drinks directly from their mobile phone by the end of 2020... More
Huawei integrates digital yuan hardware wallets into Mate 40 NFC smartphone
Owners of Huawei’s Mate 40 in China will be able to make transactions in digital yuan from a central bank digital currency (CBDC) hardware wallet built into the soon-to-be-released smartphone... More
Russia launches public consultation on digital ruble
The Central Bank of Russia (CBR) has begun a public consultation on the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) that would allow citizens to use “mobile devices and other media” to make payments using a digital ruble... More
India bans mobile payment providers from launching new proprietary QR codes
Payment system operators in India can no longer issue new proprietary QR codes for mobile payments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced... More
Walgreens lets customers pay with points at the POS
Customers of Walgreens in the USA can now use their payment card loyalty points to make full or partial payments for purchases they make in stores... More
HID Global launches combo NFC and RFID tags for tracking returnable industrial containers
PARTNER NEWS: HID Global has launched a range of tags that combine NFC and Rain RFID technologies to enable companies to track, locate, identify and authenticate bulk containers, gas cylinders, steel kegs and other industrial returnable transport items... More
ExxonMobil to combine NFC and QR mobile payments at the pump
Drivers refuelling their vehicles at Exxon and Mobil fuel stations across the USA will soon be able to make seamless contactless payments at the pump with their Apple or Android mobile device simply by tapping an NFC sticker or by using the camera to scan a QR code printed on it... More
BBVA begins global rollout of mobile-first credit cards
Customers of BBVA bank in Spain can now apply for a ‘blank’ physical and digital payments card with ‘hidden’ credentials and a dynamic CVV code that can be used in credit, debit or prepaid mode... More
Visa lets merchants in 15 countries accept contactless payments on standard NFC phones
Merchants in more than 15 countries around the world are now able to use Android NFC smartphones and tablets to accept contactless payments with no additional hardware required, Visa has announced... More
Shenzhen residents spend nearly 9m digital yuan during CBDC pilot
China’s ‘red envelope’ lottery giveaway of digital yuan to 50,000 residents of Shenzhen resulted in 62,788 transactions with a total value of 8.764m yuan (US$1.32m) during the week-long central bank digital currency (CBDC) test in the city... More
Six in ten US merchants now accept contactless payments
The percentage of merchants in the USA that now accept contactless payments has risen to 58% from 40% last year, while those accepting mobile payments from digital wallets has gone up to 56% from last year’s 44%, according to research released by the National Retail Federation (NRF)... More
Pizza maker teams up with delivery service to let robots make and deliver orders to the door
Consumers will be able to use their mobile device to order a takeout pizza that is both made and delivered to their door entirely by robots using a fully automated, contactless system being developed in California... More
TreeCard launches wooden contactless debit card
Consumers in the USA and “a number of EU markets” can now apply for a debit card made from wood that also comes in a digital form and can be used to make contactless and mobile payments as well as cash withdrawals from banks and ATMs... More
Estonian fuel station installs self-service payments system that replaces need for physical card readers
Drivers in Estonia can now order and pay for their fuel directly from their smartphone at a station equipped with a fully automated cloud-based self-service system... More
Canadian retailer vends ready-made meals from contactless kiosks
Consumers in Calgary, Canada, can now order and pay for ready-made meals on their smartphone and then collect their food from an automated contactless kiosk by presenting a barcode shown on their mobile device... More
KFC Japan trials contactless lockers for mobile order pickups
Customers at four KFC outlets in Japan can now order and pay for their meals online, set a time for collection and then pick up their order from a contactless locker installed on the store’s counter... More