Mastercard is becoming the ticket to ride in more than 80 global cities — Mastercard — “With a Mastercard in their wallet, more and more people have a go-to transit pass for the city they’re in,” said Ian Slater, senior vice president, enterprise partnerships, Mastercard. “In today’s connected world, having to figure out a new ticketing system every time people visit a new city is the opposite of a seamless experience.”
Links
China’s biggest mobile payment service launches in Toronto
China’s biggest mobile payment service launches in Toronto — Tourism Toronto — “Tourism Toronto announced today a new strategic partnership with OTT Financial Group that introduces the Chinese mobile payment service, WeChat Pay, into local tourism businesses to boost travel and shopping consumption by Chinese travellers.”
Capital One forays into digital ID, aiming to leverage KYC know-how
Capital One forays into digital ID, aiming to leverage KYC know-how — American Banker — “Capital One is one of the first in the US to test if businesses will pay banks to check users’ identities, and if consumers will sign into websites through their banks the way they use social media accounts.”
Tikkie passes half a million users
Tikkie passes half a million users — ABN Amro — “Less than a year after it was first introduced, pay-back app Tikkie has reached and passed the landmark of half a million users. This makes Tikkie the fastest-growing payment app in the Netherlands.”
Seat and Saba promote the creation of the connected car ecosystem
Seat and Saba promote the creation of the connected car ecosystem — Seat — “The partners are studying the way to offer a mobile reservation and payment system for parking spaces… The collaboration lays the foundation for projects like Parkfinder 2.0, which will enable both companies to offer drivers real-time information on which parking spaces are available and recommend a car park according [to] the real needs of each client.”
Delta is testing facial recognition technology, plans first biometric-based self-service bag drop in US
Delta is testing facial recognition technology, plans first biometric-based self-service bag drop in US — Delta — “Delta is introducing four self-service bag drop machines at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport this summer… One machine will be equipped to test facial recognition technology to match customers with their passport photos through identification verification, a first for US carriers.”
In cashless Sweden, even God now takes collection via an app
In cashless Sweden, even God now takes collection via an app — Bloomberg — “A growing number of Swedish parishes have started taking donations via mobile apps… Most of the country’s bank branches have stopped handling cash; some shops and museums now only accept plastic; and even Stockholm’s homeless have started accepting cards as payment for their magazine.”
Contactless retail payments to exceed $1 trillion in transaction value by 2019
Contactless retail payments to exceed $1 trillion in transaction value by 2019 — Juniper Research — “The global value of contactless transactions made via payment cards, mobile and wearables will reach $1.3 trillion by 2019, more than doubling from an estimated $590 billion in 2017 … contactless card levels will continue to dominate transaction values, accounting for 80% of total contactless transactions in 2019.”
RBTE 2017: Sainsbury’s throws down gauntlet to mobile payments industry
RBTE 2017: Sainsbury’s throws down gauntlet to mobile payments industry — Essential Retail — “The retailers’ perspective is that many people have joined the payments industry just because they want a piece of the data… Data on customer behaviour and what the customer is doing in the retail environment is the most prized possession any retailer has.”
Burger King seeks edge over McDonald’s in mobile payment battle
Burger King seeks edge over McDonald’s in mobile payment battle — Bloomberg — “The chain has been testing mobile payment technology in the Miami area since December and is looking to introduce it more broadly soon, according to Jose Cil, Burger King’s president. That will set the stage for a national rollout within months.”
Apple Pay sees double-digit growth, ties with PayPal
Apple Pay sees double-digit growth, ties with PayPal — Branding Brand — “New shopping data from Branding Brand shows in-app purchases with Apple Pay increased 17% from March 2017 to April 2017… When asked to rank their favorite in-app payment systems, PayPal and Apple Pay tied for first place. Overall, 70% of Apple Pay users want more retailers to offer the service.”
American Express brings the card member experience to the connected home with launch of the Amex skill for Amazon Alexa
American Express brings the card member experience to the connected home with launch of the Amex skill for Amazon Alexa — American Express — “By linking their online American Express account to the Amex skill, eligible card members with an Alexa-enabled device can check their account balance, review recent charges, make a payment and more through voice commands. The Amex skill for Alexa also connects with the Amex Offers ecosystem, enabling card members to browse certain available limited-time offers and add offers to their eligible cards.”
European mobile payments will almost triple by 2021
European mobile payments will almost triple by 2021 — Forrester — “Forrester estimates that mobile payment transactions in Western Europe will grow from €52 billion in 2016 to €148 billion by 2021.”
CMU researchers create touchpads with a can of spray paint
CMU researchers create touchpads with a can of spray paint — Carnegie Mellon University — “Walls, furniture, steering wheels, toys and even Jell-O can be turned into touch sensors with the technology, dubbed Electrick… The ‘trick’ is to apply electrically conductive coatings or materials to objects or surfaces, or to craft objects using conductive materials.”
Say hello to Spotify Codes
Say hello to Spotify Codes — Spotify — “We are introducing Spotify Codes, a brand new way for users to share any track, artist, album, or playlist available on Spotify, as easily as taking a picture… They also present an innovative and exciting new way for artists, labels and brands to instantly engage with fans through Spotify.”
One in four banks find it difficult to verify the identity of online banking customers
One in four banks find it difficult to verify the identity of online banking customers — Kaspersky Lab — “According to the research, in 2016, 30% of banks have had security incidents affecting banking services delivered via the internet — with phishing against customers, and using customer credentials for fraudulent activities, as the top contributing factor leading to the attacks.”
With Echo Show, Amazon seizes the lead in the race to artificial intelligence
With Echo Show, Amazon seizes the lead in the race to artificial intelligence — Forbes — “This 7-inch touchscreen-equipped digital assistant — Echo Show — is the latest addition to the Alexa family, which began as a simple voice-controlled alarm clock and is fast becoming the central hub of digitally connected homes.”
Safaricom’s NFC powered M-Pesa 1 Tap payments solution is now official
Safaricom’s NFC powered M-Pesa 1 Tap payments solution is now official — Techweez — “Payment has been simplified because you will only need to have a card or the NFC sticker on your phone or the wristband. So far, M-Pesa 1 Tap already has over 13,000 customers who were signed up within a week in Nakuru.”
Tencent extends WeChat Pay to the US with focus on Chinese tourists
Tencent extends WeChat Pay to the US with focus on Chinese tourists — South China Morning Post — “WeChat Pay’s US launch is the company’s latest globalisation push as both Tencent and Alibaba seek to expand overseas amid their intensified mobile payment competition at home.”
Iran launches NFC payments
Iran launches NFC payments — Financial Tribune — “The Central Bank of Iran is developing new mobile payment systems so people may use their smartphones or watches for making purchases, said the director of CBI’s IT Department.”