Apple has confirmed that its new flagship smartphones — the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus — and the second generation Apple Watch will be equipped with Sony FeliCa NFC technology... More
Travel and ticketing
Translink announces contactless ticketing for Northern Ireland
Public transport operator Translink has announced plans for contactless payments across its bus and rail services in Northern Ireland... More
NFC transport payments to pilot in Adelaide
Commuters in Adelaide, Australia will begin trialing NFC mobile and contactless card payments for transportation in 2017, according to tender documents issued by South Australia’s Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) and seen by ITNews... More
Rail operator to trial BLE payment
UK railway operator Chiltern Railways is to pilot an automatic fare payment system to detect when a passenger boards a train and exits a station... More
Wirecard eases Alipay acceptance in Europe
German technology provider Wirecard has launched an app allowing European retailers to accept Alipay QR code mobile payments from Chinese tourists... More
Proxama gains certification to use Google’s Eddystone beacons
PARTNER NEWS: Digital payment solutions provider Proxama has gained certification from Google to deliver a range of consumer experiences that utilise the Eddystone open beacon format, after passing the technical requirements to demonstrate full stack integration... More
MTS launches NFC mobile payments
Customers of Russian mobile network operator MTS can now make NFC mobile payments using the carrier’s new MTS Money service, which enables users to upload virtual banking cards, public transport tickets and discount coupons... More
Apple to offer iPhone with FeliCa NFC payments in Japan
Apple is planning to launch an iPhone in Japan equipped with Sony FeliCa NFC technology to allow owners to make payments for travel and other services... More
IHG to accept Alipay in hotels worldwide
Chinese tourists visiting hotels belonging to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) will be able to settle their bill using Alipay in locations across the globe from 2017... More
Phillips 66 to accept Chase Pay across US
Fuel retailer Phillips 66 is to allow customers at its Phillips 66, Conoco and 76 branded locations to make QR code-based mobile payments using Chase Pay across the US, in collaboration with mobile commerce provider P97 Networks... More
Wristbands speed Olympic visitors onto Rio transport
PARTNER NEWS: Visitors to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games are paying for journeys on buses, ferries and trains across the city with NFC wristbands provided by digital security giant Gemalto and public transportation ticketing operator RioCard. More
US and UK consumers warm to mobile payments, loyalty and coupons
The majority of US and UK consumers (54%) have now used a mobile wallet, research from Urban Airship reveals, with 30% of respondents using them in the past week. More
LTA signs up Mastercard for account-based contactless ticketing in Singapore
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has signed a partnership agreement with Mastercard to begin piloting a new account-based ticketing system that will let commuters pay for their train and bus journeys using their existing contactless debit and credit cards. More
Marseille gets SMS payments for on-street parking
PARTNER NEWS: Motorists in Marseille, France, will soon be able to pay for the time spent in a parking bay by sending an SMS when they enter and another one when they leave, charging the payment to their mobile phone bill. More
Alibaba unveils connected car with Alipay mobile payments
Chinese internet giant Alibaba has unveiled a new “internet car” that will let drivers make mobile payments from their seat using affiliate company Ant Financial’s Alipay mobile payment platform. More
Semble discontinues SIM-based NFC mobile wallet in New Zealand
Semble, the SIM-based NFC mobile wallet launched in New Zealand by two banks, three carriers and payments network Paymark, is to be discontinued, the mobile wallet company has confirmed. Semble says it now aims to “refocus the business to develop and build new services”. More
Europeans keen to use biometric authentication for payments, says Visa
More than two thirds (68%) of European consumers want to use biometrics as a method of payment authentication, research from Visa reveals, and 73% see two-factor authentication as a secure way to confirm an account holder’s identity. More
TfL to license contactless ticketing system across the globe
Transport for London (TfL) is to begin licensing its contactless ticketing system to other major cities across the globe as part of a deal worth up to £15m with Cubic Corporation’s business unit Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS). More
Vodafone Wallet launches NFC mobile ticketing in Albacete
Commuters in the Spanish city of Albacete can now add their PayBus Albacete transport card to the Vodafone Wallet app and validate their journeys by tapping their NFC device against a contactless terminal on board. More
AFSCM to launch NFC services across France with key MNOs
French NFC trade association AFSCM has partnered with three major mobile network operators to roll out SIM-based NFC services in France. The association is working with Oberthur Technologies (OT) to build a common hub with Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR which will enable a “massive launch of NFC services” in the country. More