Global shipments of contactless payment cards top 2bn in 2021

Contactless card being tapped on payment device

The total number of contactless payment cards and modules shipped globally exceeded 2bn for the first time and accounted for more than three-quarters of the overall total of 2.63bn smart payment card and module shipments during 2021 (76%), according to figures released by the Smart Payment Association (SPA)... More



Global chip shortages drive increased costs for contactless card manufacturers and issuers

the NIlson report red and black logo

The price of EMV-compliant chips supplied to contactless payment card manufacturers increased by more than 50% in 2021 and is expected to rise by more than 20% during 2022 with the overall cost to card issuers for finished first-use plastic cards rising by between 5% and 20% during 2021, according to US research firm Nilson Report... More




NFC World

HID Global adds employee IDs to NFC wearables

HID Global

PARTNER NEWS: HID Global has announced that employee ID card issuers can now use its Seos digital credential technology to let staff use smart watches, watchbands, rings and other devices to gain access to buildings, log in to PCs and cloud applications, make payments at vending machines, and more... More


NFC World

NXP leverages NFC for easy pairing in new Bluetooth SoC

NXP delivers new Bluetooth microcontroller intelligence with value-added NFC peripheral — NXP — PARTNER NEWS — “By tapping an IoT device based on the QN9090T to a smartphone, tablet or other NFC reader device, a BLE connection can be quickly established, greatly simplifying the pairing process. The built in NFC NTAG eliminates the need for the tag to be powered and creates additional opportunities for diagnostics or device commissioning in stages of the device life cycle.”


NFC World

ST explains how NFC tags with digital signatures can provide end-to-end protection against counterfeiting throughout the supply chain

2 people holding shopping bags

NFC tags that include support for digital signatures can provide protection against counterfeiting and grey market goods right through the supply chain — from the factory, through the distribution chain to the retailer and the consumer — chip maker STMicroelectronics explains in a white paper now available to download from the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More


NFC World

ST ships its one billionth secure element

STMicroelectronics breaks major milestone for ST33 secure chips with over one billion sold to secure the connected world — STMicroelectronics — “STMicroelectronics… has recorded cumulative sales of over one billion units for its ST33 embedded-security ICs… Based on a common certified secure platform featuring state-of-the-art cyber protection, the ST33 family’s flexible architecture has enabled ST to lead the development of new classes of security chips including embedded SIMs (eSIMs), embedded secure elements (eSEs), and trusted platform modules (TPMs).”


NFC World

Rohm to use ST NFC chips for wireless charging in cars

NFC reader IC and 8-bit microcontroller from STMicroelectronics adopted by Rohm for Qi automotive wireless charging design — STMicroelectronics — PARTNER NEWS — “One benefit of ST’s technology contribution is to enable the sophisticated control that makes possible the detection of contactless smart cards in proximity to the charging system in order to halt the charging immediately. This important and appreciated function prevents the failure of those cards due to the strong magnetic field generated by the Qi transmitter.”



NFC World

ST adds NFC chips that can control lighting products, motorized appliances, fans, thermostats and more

STMicroelectronics

PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has introduced a new range of dynamic tag chips that combine NFC technology with pulse width modulation (PWM) logic to enable a wide range of appliances to be set up or fine tuned at home, in the field or in the factory using either an NFC phone or an ISO 15693 RFID reader... More


NFC World

ST combines an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM in a single mobile security chip

STMicroelectronics' ST54J combines an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM on a single chip

PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has launched the ST54J, a single system-on-chip that lets mobile phone makers cut bill-of-materials costs, reduce PCB space and deliver faster performance by combining an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM into one unit that supports mobile payments, e-ticketing, remote provisioning and more... More


NFC World

Pernod Ricard unveils connected cocktail glass that uses NFC to place orders in bars

Pernod Ricard launches a connected glass with Havana Club — Pernod Ricard — “The glass is equipped with an NFC chip that allows the consumer to order a cocktail in a bar… At home, the same technology gives the user access to the ‘Cocktail Club’ web app to find ideas for cocktails, recipes, shopping list based on the ingredients the user already has at home and the number of guests, etc.”




What's New in Payments

US Secret Service issues ‘chip switch’ card scam warning

Secret Service warns of chip card scheme — Krebs On Security — “The US Secret Service is warning financial institutions about a new scam involving the temporary theft of chip-based debit cards issued to large corporations. In this scheme, the fraudsters intercept new debit cards in the mail and replace the chips on the cards with chips from old cards. When the unsuspecting business receives and activates the modified card, thieves can start draining funds from the account.”