Author archive: Sarah Clark

Gemalto's Taiwan-based data centre has achieved certification by MasterCard for its Trusted Service Manager (TSM) solution for NFC services. "MasterCard works alongside vendors to offer secure NFC payment solutions to its issuing banks," says Andrew... More

According to the official announcement: MoLo Rewards' technology, protected by an already issued US patent, allows consumers to interact with the point of sale (POS) and redeem within seconds every valid and applicable coupon within... More

The NFC trial is taking place a year later than originally planned, Digi.no reports (in Norwegian), and a commercial launch is still expected to be two to three years away. More

The telecoms giant has opted for an RF SIM-based solution (using SIM cards embedded with a second, contactless chipset) for its new mobile payments service, not NFC, according to a report in Interfax-China (subscription required).... More

The US electronic payments association has issued a Request for Comment concerning plans to change its operating rules to provide a framework for emerging mobile payments applications. Full details on NACHA's website. More

Starbucks has launched a new 2D barcode-based app that lets users make payments with their iPhone at 16 stores in the Seattle and Silicon Valley areas using a mobile version of their Starbucks Card. More... More

Credit Valtellina already issues contactless Visa PayWave cards in Italy's Sondrio province under the Tellcard brand name. Now it is testing NFC with Visa Europe, in a small scale trial involving fifty of the bank's... More

A new research report from IE Market Research Corp breaks down the total forecast into merchandise purchases, digital purchases, ticketing, money transfers, bill payment, and prepaid top-ups. The forecast is also split into SMS, WAP/Web,... More

The rollout of contactless payments is gathering pace in Australia, with 500 merchants in Melbourne set to install contactless terminals this month. The transaction limit is being increased to A$100, with no PIN required —... More

Two of Korea's leading card issuers are seeking to launch their own Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) services, in a bid to ensure they are in control of their customers' mobile wallets. More

The credit union will use Tyfone's u4ia platform to deliver a 'standard' mobile banking service but, says OnPoint, "Tyfone's unique secure memory card technology gives us exceptional flexibility to deliver some very exciting new member services down the road." More

Students taking part in a new trial of micro-SD based NFC payments at Brigham Young University in Idaho have already used their phones to buy everything from candy bars to $1,600 laptops. More

The small scale payments trial, run in conjunction with mobile operator Claro and two banks, is one of several moves towards NFC now taking place in Brazil. More

The small scale trial is being run in conjunction with MasterCard, Giesecke & Devrient, E-Kart and Venyon. More

Plans to add NFC to Android phones, to develop a universal NFC wallet user interface and to test an NFC-based museum information system at the Pompidou Centre in Paris are amongst the projects that will receive grants worth a total of 'several million euros'. More

OPINION: It looks as though Shanghai is now set to be the venue for a new series of mobile contactless payment initiatives from China's mobile operators, banks and public transport providers. More

China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator with 470 million subscribers, and China Unionpay, the national bank card association, were amongst the first in the world to field test NFC back in 2006. Now, both companies are taking a second look at mobile contactless payments and mobile operator China Unicom is getting in on the action too... More

"By 2012, 80% of security guards in private security will be NFC-equipped," says Michael Elliott of NFC-based remote worker management specialists Over-C, whose technology is already used by security staff at Marks & Spencer and at all London Overground stations. More

A new white paper compares the advantages and disadvantages of alternative NFC form factors — and looks at how much market share each technology is likely to gain.  More

There are now over ten million subscribers to NTT Docomo's Osaifu-Keitai based mobile credit card payment service DCMX and, overall, a total of 30 million Docomo subscribers are now equipped with Osaifu-Keitai handsets. More