Barclaycard is introducing a service that enables businesses in the UK to provide their employees with virtual corporate cards that can be used to make payments both online and at physical locations... More
iPhone
Carrefour introduces mobile self-checkout in UAE
Customers in Carrefour stores run by Majid Al Futtaim in the United Arab Emirates can now scan their purchases and pay for them in-store using the Mobile Scan&Go feature integrated into the retailer’s app... More
Dutch regulator launches antitrust investigation into NFC payment apps
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has opened an investigation into whether companies such as Apple are in breach of competition rules if they limit the access payments apps have to a smartphone’s NFC chip and restrict a user’s choice of contactless in-store payment method on that device... More
Octopus adds travel info and P2P NFC transfers to transit wallet
Octopus transit card holders in Hong Kong can now use their Octopus App to view travel information and transport services “at a glance” and transfer funds from one card to another via NFC... More
Snapper lets transportation users top up their travel card with their iPhone
Passengers travelling on buses and cable cars in Wellington, New Zealand, can now use their iPhone to instantly top up their Snapper transit card, check their card balance, collect refunds and view concessions and travel passes... More
More than 500m iPhone users have now activated Apple Pay
The number of iPhone users globally that have activated Apple Pay has grown by 66m over the past year, from 441m in September 2019 to 507m in September 2020, according to a study published by Loup Ventures... More
Apple Pay to go live in Israel
Israeli payment services provider Isracard has become the first financial company in the country to announce that it is to enable cardholders with an iPhone to make payments using Apple Pay... More
CTA adds support for Apple Pay Express Transit for tap-and-go fare payments in Chicago
Passengers on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and train services can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch to make tap-and-go fare payments via Apple Pay’s Express Transit mode by uploading the authority’s Ventra transit card to their Apple Wallet... More
University of Tennessee reports on NFC campus ID adoption
Students and staff at the University of Tennessee in the US are now using mobile campus ID cards stored on their iPhone or Apple Watch to gain access to buildings and make on- and off-campus payments an average of 46,000 times a day, more than double the average six months ago... More
BBVA begins global rollout of mobile-first credit cards
Customers of BBVA bank in Spain can now apply for a ‘blank’ physical and digital payments card with ‘hidden’ credentials and a dynamic CVV code that can be used in credit, debit or prepaid mode... More
Maryville University introduces NFC digital IDs
Students and staff at Maryville University in St Louis, Missouri, in the USA, can now use their mobile phone or wearable device to enter campus buildings, pay for meals or access other on-site services via the university’s digital identification system... More
Edenred adds Apple Pay for UK prepaid cardholders
Holders of Edenred prepaid incentive and rewards cards in the UK can now add their card to Apply Pay and make mobile and online payments for food, fuel, transport, parking and corporate transactions with their iPhone, Apple Watch or other Apple Pay-enabled device... More
Marshall University transitions to mobile-only NFC ID cards for staff and students
Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, USA, has responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by switching to a mobile-only ID system, removing the need to issue physical cards or for students to visit the campus ID office in person to register for a card and have their photograph taken... More
Apple lets kids use their Apple Watch to make payments with Apple Pay
Parents with an iPhone can now transfer funds to their children’s Apple Watch so they can then use it to make payments using Apple Pay... More
Steamship Authority introduces NFC ticketing on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard ferries
Passengers travelling on ferries between the US mainland and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket can now pay for their tickets using Apple Wallet or Google Pay and authenticate their ticket on boarding by holding their iPhone, Apple Watch or Android device near an NFC-enabled ticket scanner... More
LA Metro lets passengers add TAP transit cards to Apple Wallet
Public transport users in Los Angeles in the US can now add their TAP transit card to their iPhone or Apple Watch, enabling them to pay their fares on the LA Metro and 25 other TAP-supporting transit agencies across LA County simply by holding their device near a TAP reader... More
Washington Metro lets passengers add SmarTrip transit cards to Apple Wallet
Public transport users in Washington, DC, in the US can now add their SmarTrip card to their iPhone or Apple Watch, “giving transit customers a safer, faster, more convenient way to pay”... More
LA Metro to let passengers add their TAP transit card to Apple Pay ‘this year’
Public transport users in Los Angeles will be able to add their TAP transit card to their iPhone or Apple Watch “this year”, LA Metro has announced... More
Carrefour integrates its loyalty card with Apple Pay
Supermarket giant Carrefour has become the first retailer in Europe to integrate its customer loyalty programme with Apple Pay, enabling shoppers both to pay for their purchases and collect loyalty points with a single tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch... More