Visa has unveiled a series of ‘tap to pay preferred’, ‘we are now cashless’, ‘how to pay contactless’ and ‘tap to pay encouraged’ decals, POS terminal stickers and toppers, table tents and mats to promote the use of contactless payments in stores... More
Retail
Visa reports on impact of Covid-19 on contactless payment adoption
“While the full impact of Covid-19 on tap to pay adoption across the world is yet to be fully seen, early indications highlight a shift in consumer spend toward every day, essential segments where contactless usage is high, such as grocery and pharmacy,” Visa says... More
Google Pay adds food ordering and payments in Singapore
You can now search for Singapore food places with delivery, pick-up options on Google Pay — Channel News Asia — “The new free feature allows users to look through menus, select items then order and pay through the platform, after which they can self-collect or get the food delivered.”
Facebook adds grocery ordering to WhatsApp in India
Facebook-backed Reliance Jio pilots basic grocery ordering service on WhatsApp in India — The Next Web — “Less than a week ago, Facebook announced it was investing $5.7bn into India’s largest mobile carrier, Reliance Jio. We now have an idea of how the two giants plan to collaborate: The latter’s ecommerce arm, JioMart, is now testing a system for WhatsApp users to order goods via the messaging service.”
Mastercard reports 40% growth in contactless transaction volumes
“We have seen over 40% growth in contactless transactions worldwide in the first quarter,” Mastercard president Michael Miebach has revealed, with “more than half of new tappers saying they will continue to use contactless once this pandemic is over.”... More
UK extends strong customer authentication deadline
Strong customer authentication and coronavirus — Financial Conduct Authority — “In the exceptional circumstances of the Covid crisis, we are giving the industry an additional six months to implement strong customer authentication (SCA) for e-commerce. This will minimise potential disruption to consumers and merchants. The new timeline of 14 September 2021 replaces the 14 March 2021 date.”
Safaricom partners with Visa for M-Pesa digital payments
Safaricom and Visa join forces in seeking to expand access to digital payments for M-Pesa consumers and merchants — Safaricom — “The partnership will cover over 24 million M-Pesa customers, more than 173,000 Lipa Na M-Pesa merchants from Safaricom and more than 61m merchant locations throughout Visa’s global network, and over 3.4bn Visa cards in more than 200 countries and territories, subject to regulatory approval.”
Central banks increase contactless transaction limit in UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait
Central banks in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait have all increased the contactless transaction limits in their country, in a bid to combat the spread of Covid-19... More
JCB rolls out contactless payments acceptance on standard Android devices
JCB has launched Tap on Mobile, a contactless payments acceptance solution that uses off-the-shelf Android NFC devices to enable its acquirers to offer “a cost-effective payment solution to their merchants”... More
Westpac goes live with Apple Pay
Westpac switches on Apple Pay for customers — Westpac — “Apple Pay is now available for Westpac customers with an eligible Mastercard debit or credit card, or eftpos Handycard… Debit card holders can now choose the payment option linked to their card when they pay with Apple Pay, including ‘Mastercard Debit’, ‘eftpos CHQ’ and ‘eftpos SAV’.”
LG pilots face-based digital currency payments in unmanned convenience store
LG CNS is piloting a new payments solution that combines face recognition, a blockchain-based digital currency and AI technology to let shoppers enter an unmanned store, shop and check out — without needing to come into close contact with either employees or POS equipment... More
Barclaycard reports on impact of contactless transaction limit increase
The increase in the UK contactless transaction limit from £30 (US$37.50) to £45 (US$56.25) has resulted in 43% of in-store transactions valued at between £30 and £45 now being made via contactless payments, Barclaycard reports... More
Google to add support for Bluetooth mobile payments?
Leaked screenshots of a new Google Pay debit card, to be issued by banks partnering with the search engine giant for its planned move into the US banking market, include mention of an option to use a digital version of the card “for Bluetooth mobile payments”... 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
New Zealand raises contactless limit by 150%
New Zealand is to progressively roll out a temporary increase in the country’s contactless transaction limit “over the coming days and weeks” — but customers of two banks will miss out “due to technology constraints” unless they order a new card or make use of mobile payments... More
Switzerland and Liechtenstein double contactless payments limit
The contactless transaction limit in Switzerland and Liechtenstein is to be temporarily increased from 40 francs (US$41.60) to 80 francs (US$83.21) “in order to protect customers”... More
Starling Bank adds connected cards for volunteer shoppers
Customers of Starling Bank are now able to request an additional, specially restricted payment card that can be given to a friend, family member or volunteer shopper “to buy essential items on their behalf”... More
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mauritius to increase contactless transaction limit
Contactless transaction limits are being increased in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mauritius, Mastercard has announced... More
Belgium increases contactless transaction limit to €50
Belgium is to increase the contactless transaction limit from €25 ($US27.07) to €50 ($US54.54) from 14 April, “to curb the spread of the coronavirus.”... 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