Mobile Myki — Public Transport Victoria — “Mobile Myki is a digital Myki on your Android phone. From Thursday 28 March 2019 it will be available on the Google Pay app… Mobile Myki uses all of the existing Myki gates and readers on Melbourne’s trams, at train stations and on Myki-enabled buses across Victoria. The new technology uses Google Pay on the Android operating system and allows passengers to purchase Full fare, Concession, Child and Senior Mykis using both Myki Money and Myki Pass.”
Australia
Commonwealth Bank reports ‘dramatic increase’ in mobile payments due to Apple Pay
Digital wallet payments surge on Apple Pay: CBA — The Sydney Morning Herald — “‘Since we’ve introduced Apple Pay, we’ve seen the number of wallet transactions that are linked to a card increase 2.7 times. So it’s really increased quite dramatically since we’ve introduced Apple Pay for our consumer customers,’ said Sam Itzcovitz, CBA’s general manager of commerce solutions, business customer solutions.”
Australian F1 Grand Prix wheels out wearable payments
Wearable-only payments are being introduced at three of the bars at Melbourne’s Albert Park race track for this year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, with plans to expand the service to the entire event in subsequent years... More
CBA signs up 500,000 customers for Apple Pay
Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO Matthew Comyn on [H2 2018] results — Seeking Alpha — “We’ve had more than 500,000 registrations in the last fortnight. We now have 1.5 million customers or cards registered for mobile banking.”
Tourism Australia adds visitor card to Alipay
Tourism Australia, Alipay partner on new geotargeted Sydney City mobile app — CMO — “Chinese tourists will be able to access recommendations on what to see, where to shop and how to get around, all within an app they are familiar with and while being offered their preferred payment method… The Sydney City Card is built into the Alipay app, so no opt-in is required.”
Public Transport Victoria begins NFC ticketing pilot in Melbourne
Victorians to trial Android-based public transport payment — ZDNet — “Mobile Myki allows passengers to buy a Myki, top up, and touch on and off using their Android smartphone. Passengers will be able to buy full fare, concession, child, and senior mobile Mykis using both Myki money and Myki pass. Auto top-up will also be available.”
Sydney commuters can now use Fitbit wearables to pay for transit rides
Sydneysiders can now use Fitbit Pay to quickly and easily tap on & off at transit readers — Fitbit — “Following the contactless payment strategy rolled out by NSW Transport on Sydney’s ferry, light rail and train networks in November, Fitbit users can now use selected Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards loaded into their Fitbit Pay Wallet to pay for their trip… Fitbit users in Sydney with a Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Versa and its newest tracker, Fitbit Charge 3, can now leave their Opal cards at home and instead use Fitbit Pay on their Fitbit device to quickly and easily pay for public transport.”
Australian banks set to abandon Apple Pay boycott
The three ‘big four’ Australian banks that have held out on offering Apple Pay to their customers after losing a bid to force the iPhone maker to open up its NFC functionality could all now be set to adopt the service in the coming weeks... More
Qantas uses NFC to pre-enrol passengers for biometric boarding service
Australian airline Qantas has begun testing a new service that lets passengers pre-enrol at home for its facial recognition-based digital boarding service by using the NFC functionality in their Android mobile phone to capture the photo stored in their passport’s security chip... More
National Australia Bank demos face recognition ATM
National Australia Bank (NAB) has built and demonstrated a proof-of-concept ATM that recognises customers’ faces, removing the need for customers to use a bank card to make a withdrawal... More
Commonwealth Bank to test ‘smart money’ that knows what it can be spent on
Australia’s Commonwealth Bank is to pilot a new type of ‘smart money’ that can be pre-programmed with a set of conditions that define what it can be spent on, who it can be spent by and when it can be spent... More
Westpac launches designer wearable payments range
Hayden Cox and Westpac have teamed up to create wearable technology accessories that you’ll actually want to wear — Vogue — “The five designs include a convertible and waterproof two-in-one Band and Chain; a Slimline Keeper to add to your watch or fitness band; an ultra-minimal Incognito Pin ‘brooch-like’ set that includes four unique toppers; an anti-fashion late 70’s-inspired Nostalgia Pin; and an ‘out of site’ and internal-facing iron/sew on Centsitive Patch.”
HID Global expands investment in NFC brand protection solutions
PARTNER NEWS: HID Global is increasing investment in its NFC-based Trusted Tag brand protection service and expanding its network of solution providers around the world... More
ANZ lets customers use smartphones and smartwatches to withdraw cash from ATMs across Australia
ANZ launches smartphone ATM access in an Australian first — ANZ — “ANZ today announced a new way for customers to access cash on the go, using only their smartphone or watch at 2,400 ATMs across Australia… There are more than one million ANZ customers currently using digital wallets loaded with an ANZ-issued card. Between October 2017 and August 2018, ANZ customers made more than 57m mobile payment transactions worth more than A$1.83bn. This was an increase of more than 150% in transaction numbers from the same time a year earlier.”
Coles Supermarkets picks Rambus’ Unified Payment Platform to ‘revolutionise retail in Australia’
PARTNER NEWS: Australian supermarket giant Coles, one of the country’s largest retail groups, is to adopt Rambus’ Unified Payment Platform, an omnichannel commerce and payments solution that lets retailers offer a standalone or integrated mobile wallet application that supports credit cards, gift cards, loyalty points, coupons and receipts... More
Sydney’s public transport operator integrates on-demand transit service into its ticketing system
First on-demand operator taps into Opal — iTnews — “Transport for NSW has expanded its OpalPay payment method to allow the first on-demand public transport operators to tap into the Opal card system… The payment method will now expand to on-demand public transport services operated by Transit Systems in Sydney’s Inner West. The on-demand service, which will launch new week, is the latest in a series of on-demand services now operating across Sydney and Newcastle.”
UnionPay promotes mobile payments adoption with discounts at merchants around the world
UnionPay International launches its biggest-scale summer marketing campaign — UnionPay — “Merchants in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Russia, Australia and other countries and regions are providing discounts for UnionPay mobile QuickPass. For instance, customers can purchase Aeroexpress ticket in Moscow for only one ruble. Secondly, customers can download u-plan e-coupons that can be used at about 6,000 merchant locations in 17 countries and regions via the app to enjoy the best discount in-store. Thirdly, the app users can check about merchant offers, card-using tips, tax refund guides and other practical information.”
Bankwest wins new customers with NFC payments ring
With this ring, I do my banking — Information Age — “An experiment in wearable payment tokens has become such a successful drawcard for new customers that Bankwest technologists have found themselves on a crash course in the dynamics of the fashion accessory market… Customers loved the rings so much that, despite the absence of formal advertising campaigns, they have proved to be adept at attracting new customers – who have snapped up half of all rings sold to date.”
Australian banks launch Beem It P2P payments app
Big bank-backed Beem It launches Aussie payments app — ZDNet — “The Commonwealth Bank, NAB, and Westpac joined forces to create Beem It, allowing the real-time transfer of funds… The app enables sending and receiving money, with an interface reminiscent of a social media app… ‘It’s using Eftpos, and Visa debit card payment rails,’ Beem It chief product and development officer Deepesh Banerji said.”
Researchers combine fingerprint and vein verification in single sensor
Why your smartphone may soon start scanning your veins — Edith Cowan University — “The new technology involves a single sensor that combines image data (vein) and minutiae-based data (fingerprint) to improve recognition exponentially. These different extraction approaches add complexity for anyone attempting to duplicate the system.”