Garmin unveils the Marq Collection: a series of lifestyle inspired connected tool watches, crafted to champion the life you live — Garmin — “The Marq Collection uses select materials, meticulously crafted and designed with the utmost attention to quality that help guarantee performance in the most demanding of environments… Each watch is built from titanium, which is lightweight yet incredibly strong. Combined with a domed sapphire crystal for ultimate scratch resistance, this creates the solid core for all Marq watches.”
Switzerland
Swiss railway operator SBB to roll out account-based mobile ticketing
Positive interim results of the market test with automatic ticketing — SBB (translation) — “With the SBB Preview App, customers can check in with the ‘EasyRide’ function when they start their journey and check themselves out at any location. ‘EasyRide function’ recognizes the distance travelled and automatically books the appropriate ticket, and always at the fairest price… The definitive introduction of ‘EasyRide’ on SBB Mobile is scheduled for next year.”
Swatch brings its contactless payments service to Europe
Fashion watch buyers in Switzerland can now choose from one of a range of four Swatch watches that come with support for SwatchPay... More
Swiss competition authority forces Apple to agree to make functional changes to Apple Pay
Apple has agreed to make changes to the way that Apple Pay works following an investigation by Weko, Switzerland’s Competition Commission — also known as Comco — which found that the iPhone maker’s NFC payments service can cause issues with the functioning of the Swiss banks’ Twint mobile payment service... More
Swiss banks face mobile payments boycott investigation
Swiss watchdog investigates banks over alleged payments system boycott — Reuters — “Switzerland’s competition watchdog has raided the offices of financial companies, including Credit Suisse and UBS, to investigate a suspected boycott of mobile payment solutions such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay… ‘There is the suspicion that the companies agreed not to make their credit cards available for use with Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, in order to favor the Swiss solution Twint,’ competition commission Weko said.”
Garmin Pay adds support for Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards
Garmin and NXT-ID subsidiary FitPay expand Garmin Pay to Visa accountholders — Garmin and NXT-ID — “Garmin Pay is now available to Visa accountholders from numerous participating issuing banks including Bank of America, Capital One, and US Bank in the United States, and BonusCard, Cornér Bank, ANZ and NAB (National Australia Bank) internationally… Garmin Pay was initially launched in November 2017 for Mastercard accountholders.”
Swiss consumers to get single digital ID
Just one password? Swiss groups plan single online identity — Reuters — “Swiss consumers will be able to use a single digital identity to buy online products and services under a project unveiled on Tuesday by nine big companies. The aim is to let people use just one login profile to order in shops, buy train tickets or do banking transactions, according to the consortium… It includes UBS, Credit Suisse, Swisscom, Swiss Post, stock exchange operator Six, Raiffeisen, Swiss Railways, Zuercher Kantonalbank and insurer Mobiliar.”
Garmin Pay goes live in US, Switzerland, Russia and Australia
Garmin and NXT-ID subsidiary FitPay announce Garmin Pay now live on Garmin Vivoactive 3 smartwatch — NXT-ID and Garmin International — “The new contactless payment capability is powered by the FitPay payment platform and available initially for Mastercard cardholders from numerous issuing banks and credit unions including BECU, Capital One, First Tech Federal Credit Union, and US Bank in the United States, and internationally through Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Cornèrcard, Sberbank of Russia, and Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services Ltd.”
Fitbit Pay goes live in Switzerland
Switzerland becomes first European country to allow Visa payments on Fitbit smartwatch — Telecompaper — “Visa is introducing its mobile payment function for the Fitbit smartwatch in Switzerland, the first European country to get the service… To pay with Fitbit Ionic, the Visa card of a partner card issuer must be loaded into the Fitbit companion application. Currently, this is possible for customers of Cornercard. BonusCard and other banks will follow.”
Swiss city of Zug to offer blockchain-based digital identity to residents
Swiss city of Zug to offer blockchain-based digital identity to residents — EconoTimes — “The city of Zug in Switzerland announced that it is the first community to offer all citizens of the city the opportunity to get a blockchain-based digital identity… With the digital ID, the residents can register their identity independently on the app and the identity is verified by the ID control of the town of Zug.”
Apple Pay launches in Italy with support from UniCredit and Carrefour Banca
Apple Pay has begun rolling out across Italy with support for Mastercard and Visa cards issued by Carrefour Banca and UniCredit, with American Express, CartaBCC, ExpendiaSmart, Fineco Bank, Hype, Banca Mediolanum, N26 and Widiba listed as “coming this year”. The launch takes Apple Pay to a total of 16 markets globally. More
Samsung Pay launches in Sweden and the UAE, enters early access in Hong Kong and Switzerland
Samsung Pay has expanded to four additional markets with official launches in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and early access launches in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The service has also been made available on Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch in Russia, Sweden and the UAE in addition to its availability on the Gear S3 in the US, Singapore and Australia. More
Twint goes live in Switzerland
Mobile payment service Twint has been launched in Switzerland, marking the completion of the merger between PostFinance’s Twint and financial infrastructure operator SIX’s Paymit platforms... More
Apple Pay goes live in Taiwan with support from seven banks
Apple Pay has launched in Taiwan with support from Mastercard, Visa and seven banks including Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, Cathay United Bank, E.Sun Commercial Bank, Taishin International Bank, CTBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Union Bank of Taiwan. More
Ted Baker and Mondaine to add NFC payments to watches
Fashion brand Ted Baker and Swiss luxury watchmaker Mondaine are to integrate NFC payments into a range of watches to enable customers to make payments using technology supplied by Tappy Technologies, which has also partnered with Barclaycard to offer bPay contactless payment technology in the UK... More
Apple Pay goes live in Ireland with support from Mastercard, Visa and two banks
Apple Pay has been launched across Ireland with support from Mastercard, Visa, KBC and Ulster Bank, allowing customers to make in-store, online and in-app payments using their compatible devices... More
Swiss region pilots own local blockchain-based cryptocurrency
A pilot test of a cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology has taken place in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland... More
What’s New in Payments: Leading international innovators explain the latest payments trends and technologies in free special report
Senior executives from Starbucks, Pizza Hut, Barclaycard, Swatch and CaixaBank are among 12 leading payments innovators who have contributed to What’s New in Payments, a 104-page special report that is now available to download free of charge from the NFC World Knowledge Centre... More
Volkswagen targets mobile payments business with parking service deal
Volkswagen Financial Services AG, the financial services division of German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen Group, has bought mobile payment platform PayByPhone to “highly increase” its involvement in mobile payments around the world and to establish a “separate business field around the theme of parking”... More
PayPal launches Siri payment requests in 30 countries
PayPal has enabled money transfers via Apple’s Siri voice command function, enabling users with iOS10 devices to make payments by speaking requests... More