The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has published an ATM and Cash Revival Plan “for an ATM industry hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”... More
ATM industry publishes plan to combat the decline of cash withdrawals
Cash
BIS reports on likely impact of Covid-19 on cash, cards and mobile payments
The pandemic may result in increased calls to defend the role of cash, moves towards more quickly introducing central bank digital currencies and a structural increase in the use of mobile, card and online payments, a Bank for International Settlements (BIS) research bulletin analysing the likely impact of Covid-19 says... More
Germans switch to contactless payments amid coronavirus concerns
“Coronavirus concerns have pushed consumers across Germany to make the switch to using contactless payments for the first time,” The Local.de reports... More
Mastercard rolls out Cash Pick-Up service that lets anyone send cash to ATMs
Mastercard wants to give you fast access to cash — using only your cell phone — CNBC — “Consumers can withdraw money sent by friends and family, get cash in emergency situations (in the event of a lost bank card, for example), and redeem rebates or other cash rewards that corporations have historically sent via mail… Users receive a text message with an order amount, secret code and link showing the nearest ATM from which they can withdraw money — up to US$500 per order and $3,000 a day.”
OCBC lets customers use mobile phones to withdraw cash from ATMs
OCBC Bank is first in Singapore to enable cash withdrawals at ATMs using QR codes — OCBC — “OCBC Bank customers can withdraw cash by just scanning a QR code using the OCBC Pay Anyone app, then authenticating the transaction via fingerprint, faceprint or mobile banking login credentials… Using a QR code instead of keying in a PIN is more secure because biometric authentication can be chosen, a more robust security feature than a PIN that can be revealed or stolen. Further, a physical ATM card can be skimmed while a mobile device cannot.”
Google adds support for in-store cash payments for apps
Google to allow users to pay for Android apps using cash — Techcrunch — “Instead of charging an attached credit card, for instance, the user can instead opt to receive a payment code which they can use to pay for their purchase using cash at a nearby store. Once at the store, the user shows the payment code to the cashier and pays. Within 10 minutes after completing the transaction, the user will receive their purchase and an email with their proof of payment.”
Lloyds Bank to pay retailers to offer cash withdrawals to customers
Lloyds Banking Group announces pilot scheme to boost the number of retailers offering cashback — Lloyds Banking Group — “There are tens of thousands of local high street shops which have the infrastructure in place to offer a cashback service but may not see it as a viable option — especially without a purchase — as they do not receive a fee for providing cashback… We need to make it more viable for them [to] offer cashback to all customers, whether making a purchase or not.”
Contactless payments to drive growth in global card market
Global card expenditure to reach $45tn by 2023 on back of contactless payments — RBR — “RBR forecasts global card expenditure will grow at an average of 10% per year between 2017 and 2023 to reach US$45.2tn. The average value of a payment, however, will fall from $67 to $62 over the same period as the influence of contactless cards grows — the latter are typically used for the lowest-value payments, and particularly those which would previously have been made with cash.”
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.”
Ithmaar Bank to let Bahraini consumers withdraw cash from ATMs with just their fingerprint and a PIN
Ithmaar Bank and Eazy Financial Services announce plans to launch the region’s first biometric payment network — Ithmaar Bank — “When implemented, Ithmaar Bank customers will no longer be required to use their bank cards at ATMs. Instead, they will simply be able to use their fingerprint along with their PIN to process financial transactions. This provides a simpler, more secure way to process financial transactions than ever before. In future, this may also include points of sale.”
EZ-Link turns loose change into transit card top-ups
Wirecard partners with EZ-Link and Cheers to establish a tailor-made contactless card solution in Singapore reducing the usage of loose change in the country — Wirecard — “Through this partnership, users are able to convert their loose change directly into stored value on EZ-Link cards and EZ-Charms — Singapore’s most widely used contactless solution for commute on buses and trains, as well as lifestyle purchases island-wide… When making purchases with cash at select Cheers outlets, consumers just need to inform the cashier to top-up their EZ-Link directly with the change they receive. This minimizes any inconvenience and time needed to count the coins. No transaction fees are required to use the service.”
Central bank tightens rules on accepting cards and cash in Chinese stores
As China goes increasingly cashless, PBOC says cash payment is still alive — South China Morning Post — “The central bank in China, the world’s largest mobile payment market, is urging individuals and companies to not refuse or discriminate against cash payment… The PBOC said cash should be accepted alongside the debit card at all business outlets, with the exception of e-commerce and unstaffed stores. Businesses have one month from Friday to make necessary adjustments to avoid being investigated for breaches by the authorities.”
Popularity of contactless payments pushes debit cards ahead of cash in the UK
Convenience of debit card payments puts cash in second place — UK Finance — “The popularity of contactless payments among UK consumers is a key driver of debit card growth. In total, across both debit and credit cards, the number of contactless payments increased by 97% during 2017 to 5.6bn. Almost two thirds (63%) of people in the UK now use contactless payments, and no age group or region falls below 50% usage.”
Mastercard to pilot cardless ATM withdrawals
It’s app, tap and go at ATMs thanks to Mastercard and Diebold Nixdorf — Mastercard — “Here’s how it works: Consumers open their bank’s app on their smartphone. They use the app to find nearby ATMs, choose the amount they want to withdraw and see the associated fees. Once at the ATM, they quickly snap or tap, often by scanning a QR code, authenticate using optional biometrics on device, and take the dispensed cash.”
Israel considers issuing a digital currency to speed up payments
Israel central bank mulls issuing digital currency for faster payments — Reuters — “The Bank of Israel is examining issuing digital currency as a means of creating a faster payments system as well as reducing the amount of cash in the economy, a central bank source said… The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said the government was ready to legislate or include the issue in its 2019 budget and economic package if the central bank gave the green light.”
Restaurants report on benefits of going cash-free
Plastic is king at New York restaurants that no longer accept cash — CBS — “Restaurants said no cash means no wasting time running to the bank for change, or spending hours counting money. They also say business is up. ‘So much faster. With one person on one register we can move 150 people through here in an hour. It’s insane how much faster it is.’
Australia’s central bank explores the issue of electronic banknotes
An eAUD? — Reserve Bank of Australia — “An electronic form of banknotes could coexist with the electronic payment systems operated by the banks, although the case for this new form of money is not yet established… The issuing authority could issue electronic currency in the form of files or ‘tokens’. These tokens could be stored in digital wallets, provided by financial institutions and others. These tokens could then be used for payments in a similar way that physical banknotes are used today.”
ECB survey finds cash still dominates payments in the euro zone
Euro zone consumers still addicted to cash when they buy — Reuters — “Cash still dominates consumer payments in the euro zone, even as many Western economies are rapidly moving towards electronic payments, a survey published by the European Central Bank showed on Friday… The figures indicate that the euro zone is one of the slowest among big Western economies in giving up cash, trailing countries like the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada.”
Mastercard CEO: Cash is our main competitor
My competition is with cash: Ajay Banga — LiveMint — “Eighty-five percent of the world’s retail payments — person to merchant — are in cash… So who do I view as my competition? Cash. I don’t view another network, I don’t view Paytm, I don’t view Apple as competition. We are actually working with all of them. They all need our technology.”
Wells Fargo adds NFC cash withdrawals at 5,000 ATMs
More than 5,000 Wells Fargo ATMs launch NFC-enabled mobile wallet capability — Wells Fargo — “A customer can initiate an ATM transaction by signing into leading mobile wallet features, such as Wells Fargo Wallet for Android, Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay, found on mobile phones. They simply hold their phone or wearable device with mobile payment functionality near an NFC-enabled ATM terminal… The customer will then input their Wells Fargo Debit or EasyPay card personal identification number (PIN) and complete their transaction.”