What's New in Payments

Apple iWatch to support NFC payments?

Apple plans to include NFC in a new smartwatch that will be unveiled on 9 September, as well as in the next iPhone, the Wall Street Journal reports, “signaling that it sees a role for the device in digital payments.” NFC “is central to Apple’s plans to offer so-called tap-to-pay into its mobile devices, allowing users to pay for goods and services using credit cards stored with iTunes,” the report adds... More



NFC WorldKnowledge Centre

Introducing the NFC World+ Knowledge Centre

NFC World editor Sarah Clark

NFC World+ now has a Knowledge Centre which provides readers with in-depth reports, technical guides and market briefings on the technologies shaping the future of mobile payments and commerce. Sign up to the NFC World+ Knowledge Centre today and you’ll get unlimited access to this unique resource — completely free of charge. More


Graceland uses Bluetooth beacons to guide Elvis fans

Elvis fans can see "room-specific content" as they tour the King's mansion with a borrowed iPad

Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley and now a major tourist attraction, is offering every visitor the use of an iPad that works in conjunction with Bluetooth beacons placed around the Memphis mansion to help guests navigate the attraction and “trigger additional content including videos, trivia and more.” More



What's New in Payments

Retailer-owned payments venture MCX unveils CurrentC brand

CurrentC

Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), the mobile payments venture co-owned by US retail chains with collective revenues of more than US$1 trillion annually, has announced that its payments, loyalty and offers platform is to be called CurrentC — and provided the first details of how the service will work when it rolls out to 110,000 merchant locations across the US in 2015. More


Melbourne Cricket Club equips roving snack vendors with Bluetooth beacons

A beacon-equipped "pie boy" at MCG

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are being attached to the trays of roving snack and drink vendors for football matches taking place at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia this month. The beacons trigger location-specific messages to fans’ smartphones as the vendors move around the stadium, inviting them to show the message to the vendor to receive a free pie. More



Downtown uses Bluetooth beacons to deliver orders to customers’ tables

Coupa Cafe customers can order and pay via BLE and an app

A café in Palo Alto, California is using a new service developed by startup Downtown that lets customers order and pay for their meals with their mobile phone. Bluetooth beacons placed at each table link each order with the table the customer is seated at, enabling waiting staff to bring ordered items directly to the correct table. More


JD Sports adds BLE beacons

UK sports fashion chain JD has installed Bluetooth beacons at its new concept store in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, letting customers who have downloaded the JD app “access exclusive store content and shop from the app before paying in-store.” The store also features eight multi-channel kiosks and a social media wall, and staff have been equipped with iPads “to assist with customers’ enquiries.”... More


What's New in Payments

BBVA reports 250,000 mobile wallet users

BBVA's digital wallet can make NFC payments

Spain-based banking group BBVA has signed up 250,000 customers for its BBVA Wallet service and is to expand availability to the US, Mexico and Chile this year. The wallet includes support for host card emulation (HCE)-based payments for customers with an NFC phone running Android 4.4 or later. More