Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has launched a major initiative designed to persuade consumers to move away from paying in cash, by providing a rebate whenever they use a card or mobile phone to make a purchase at any of 500,000 merchants across the country... More
Discounts
Transport for NSW completes rollout of open loop contactless ticketing
Public transportation users in Sydney, Australia, are now able to use contactless bank cards, NFC phones or wearable devices to pay for travel across the entire Transport for New South Wales network, including bus services... More
NFC mobile payments to account for ‘just 1.6%’ of in-store transactions this year
Payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay will be used by US consumers to make transactions valued at a total of US$78.6bn this year, representing 1.6% of all US brick-and-mortar retail sales, according to a new forecast from 451 Research... More
Apple Pay offers free fries at McDonald’s
Latest Apple Pay promotion offers free fries at McDonald’s all month — 9to5Mac — “Apple today has kicked off its latest Apple Pay promotion. This time, users can secure a free order of french fries from McDonald’s when using Apple Pay all month long… Apple has been offering Apple Pay discounts through various retailers, services, and restaurants on a near-weekly basis recently. Recent offers have included US$1 tacos through Taco Bell, US$5 off select Fandango movie ticket purchases, and more.”
Japanese government to reward shoppers for using mobile payments
Hoping to boost spending, Japan tries to sell shoppers on cashless purchases — Reuters — “A scheduled increase in the sales tax to 10% from 8% in October could hurt spending. Aware of that risk, the government is betting big on mobile payments, an industry only just taking root in Japan. As soon as the tax increase kicks in, the government will offer points redeemable for future discounts to shoppers who use QR codes and other cashless payments.”
Chinese banks fight tech giants for share of mobile payments market
China UnionPay has reported an increase in the number of Chinese consumers using their bank accounts to make mobile payments... More
Samsung Pay adds support for discount vouchers in the UAE
Samsung Pay Vouchers launched in UAE — TradeArabia — “Starting August 29, Samsung Pay users can purchase vouchers offering 50% off in more than 200 locations across the UAE… To redeem Samsung Pay vouchers, just select the voucher in the Samsung Pay app and click ‘Use’. Pass the phone to the cashier to enter the Merchant PIN, which will display the voucher code. Show the code to the retailer and enjoy 50% off in a convenient, one-step process.”
Shoppers prefer Apple Pay over Walmart Pay
Walmart shoppers with access to Apple Pay are more likely to choose to use it than the store’s own Walmart Pay app, a new study has found, but those who do choose the retailer’s own app spend more at Walmart each month than those who use Apple Pay... More
Dollar General lets customers check out on their mobile phones
Dollar General pilots mobile checkout app — Progressive Grocer — “Tennessee-based Dollar General is the latest food retailer and first dollar-store chain to move into mobile checkout… Users will receive a receipt immediately via the app and via email. Any digital coupons are applied automatically when customers scan items, and the app alerts users regarding any additional discounts or promotions.”
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.”
Apple Pay runs ‘Lose your wallet’ promotion in New York City
Lose your wallet — Apple — “Use Apple Pay to get exclusive offers for a limited time in Greenwich Village, Nolita, Park Slope, and Williamsburg.”
Amazon uses QR codes to let Prime members access discounts in Whole Foods Market stores
Amazon serves up new benefit for Prime members at Whole Foods Market — Amazon — “Prime members can now get an additional 10% off sale items, typically hundreds of products throughout the store, plus weekly deep discounts on select best-selling items… To get started, customers download the Whole Foods Market app, sign in with their Amazon account and then scan the app’s Prime Code at checkout. Or, customers can opt in to use their phone number to save at checkout.”
Phoenix reports drop in number of US consumers making use of Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
“Not just Apple Pay, but the two other major third party contactless wallets, Google Pay (formerly Android Pay) and Samsung Pay, are tracing a slow but definite descent in adoption among smartphone owners”, research conducted by Phoenix Marketing International has found... More
Apple Pay runs Springtime Savings promo with ten leading brands
Latest Apple Pay promo offers 15-30% discounts from Adidas, Boxed, Goat, Headout, Saks Fifth Avenue, more — 9to5Mac — “Apple has been running regular weekly Apple Pay promos for some time now, but this week is offering deals from not just one brand but ten of them. Deals range from free rush shipping to discounts of up to 30%… The offers are applicable when using Apple Pay as your payment method either through the relevant apps, or on the web.”
Apple Pay goes live in Brazil
Apple Pay arrives in Brazil, partnering with Itaú Unibanco — Reuters — “Apple Inc’s mobile payment platform Apple Pay arrived in Brazil on Wednesday with an exclusive partnership with Itaú Unibanco Holding SA, the country’s largest private lender. The bank said Apple Pay will be available during the 90-day exclusive period to Itaú’s roughly 1.2 million card holders who also own an iPhone 6 or higher. Under the terms of the partnership, Brazilian retailers such as GPA SA will offer discounts on purchases using Apple Pay.”
Samsung Pay goes live in Italy
Samsung Pay continues global expansion with launch in Italy — Samsung — “Starting today, Samsung Pay is available to users in Italy with compatible Samsung devices, including wearables like the Samsung Gear S3 and Gear Sport, and the new Galaxy S9 and S9+… Several value-added features will be available exclusively to consumers in Italy. These include discounts up to 20% on popular brands, including Daybreak Hotel, EF Education, Leroy Merlin and Moleskin.”
Macy’s brings mobile self-checkout to department stores
Macy’s to add mobile checkout to all stores by year’s end — CNBC — “The platform allows shoppers to scan barcodes on items (apparel, home goods, etc) with their phones, as they add merchandise to their baskets in stores. Relevant discounts and rewards will also be applied, via a shopper’s loyalty account, throughout. When customers are finished shopping, they will head to a special counter for mobile checkout, where an associate will remove security tags and make sure the number of items scanned adds up to those paid for. Then, they’re ready to go.”
Acer adds donations and discounts to prayer beads
Buddhists go high-tech: Acer to launch smart prayer beads — EJ Insight — “The smart product looks just like traditional Buddhist prayer beads except that one of the beads has an embedded chip which can connect with the user’s smartphone and show the number of times a mantra is recited on the mobile app…. The smart Buddhist beads also come with fintech functions for electronic payments, facilitating donations and offering discounts at certain shops and restaurants in the Buddhist community.”
Apple Pay runs first promo to work both online and in-app
Apple offering Valentine’s Day discount for Apple Pay purchases via 1-800-Flowers — 9To5Mac — “Apple is giving users a $15 discount at the merchant when checking out with Apple Pay. This offer is valid online, or through the app, making it the first Apple Pay promo to be available both in-app and online… Apple has been offering weekly in-app Apple Pay discounts as it looks to push more users to try out the payment method. Last week, Apple offered Under Armour users discounts when checking out with Apple Pay. Previous weeks have offered discounts for Dunkin’ Donuts users, the Goat sneaker app, and SpotHero parking.”
China UnionPay launches mobile wallet app
UnionPay takes mobile payment services fight to Alibaba and Tencent with integrated app — South China Morning Post — “UnionPay said the app could be linked to more than one bank account by different banks with all of their mobile payment services accepted and conducted via the platform… The country’s dominant bank card clearing service provider also launched a nationwide promotional campaign with aggressive discounts to attract consumers who have been increasingly using Alipay and Tenpay services for shopping.”