US consumers and debit: Shift to online may inhibit use — Mercator Advisory Group — “57% of all respondents and 78% of young adults aged 18 to 34 use person-to-person payment services such as PayPal, Venmo, Google Wallet, Facebook Messenger, and others accessible online and in-app by mobile devices and nearly half of them use a P2P service at least once a month.”
Peer-to-peer payments
US consumers sent $75bn in Zelle P2P payments in 2017
Zelle moves record $75bn in 2017 — Zelle — “In 2017, the US$75bn moved on Zelle, was an increase of 36% year-over-year (YoY) from 2016’s totals of $55bn… The Zelle network processed more than 247m payments in 2017, an increase of more than 45% YoY on the 170m transactions processed in 2016… More than 60 financial institutions are now part of the Zelle network.”
Bank of America reports 84% rise in P2P payment transactions
Zelle takes cashless payments to new heights — Bank of America — “Bank of America saw total Zelle transactions for 2017 hit nearly 68 million, an 84% growth rate from the previous year. In Q4 alone, Bank of America processed over 23 million transactions, totaling nearly US$7bn, up 91% from the prior year… Currently, Bank of America has nearly three million active Zelle users, and continues to add thousands of new users every day.”
UnionPay details its mobile payment app for China’s banks
Unified app of China’s banking industry, ‘Mobile QuickPass’ officially launches today — China UnionPay — “The ‘Mobile QuickPass’ app is a unified mobile payment portal jointly developed and maintained by commercial banks and UnionPay, under the guidance of the People’s Bank of China. Customers are able to link their bank cards to the app, manage different bank accounts, and enjoy the mobile payment services and benefits offered by each bank. The services offered by this app also include UnionPay QR code payment, signing up for various mobile payment solutions, comprehensive credit card services, P2P real-time transfer and payment services in various scenarios.”
Apple explains how Apple Pay Cash will function as an electronic purse on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
Apple Pay Cash and person to person payments now available — Apple — “Apple customers who don’t already have Apple Pay set up on their supported device can still receive money from friends and family without needing to install a new app or add a card to Wallet. When new users receive money for the first time, it’s simply added to their new Apple Pay Cash card once they accept the terms.”
Apple begins to switch on Apple Pay Cash
Apple Pay Cash is rolling out for iOS 11.2 users — The Verge — “Apple was forced to release iOS 11.2 on Saturday, which was a little earlier than planned, due to a software bug. Now, Apple Pay Cash — one of the marquee features of the update — is being activated for users… The new feature is only available in the US for now, though.”
Facebook expands Messenger P2P payments to the UK
Facebook Messenger payments comes to UK — BBC News — “Facebook has chosen the UK as the first country outside the US to get its Messenger payments service… David Marcus, who runs Messenger, says it is obvious from our messages that we need this. ‘More and more people are having conversations on Messenger about paying one another,’ he explains. ‘As a result it’s a very natural place for you to have the most frictionless and secure way of paying each other.'”
Central bank begins digital currency pilot in Uruguay
Uruguay to launch digital currency, ‘not Bitcoin’ it stresses — Bitcoin.com — “Uruguay’s Central Bank (BCU) formally presented rollout of its pioneering digitization of the Uruguayan peso on 3 November 2017… The plan ‘consists of a test with 10,000 mobile phone users of Antel,’ the release notes, ‘which will last for six months’ and be international… Registered users will be able to interact with merchants as well as peer-to-peer in money exchanges.”
Facebook tests P2P payments
Facebook may soon test a ‘red envelope’ payments feature — Recode — “Red envelopes are typically used for gift giving, especially for holidays like Chinese New Year, but the ability to gift someone money on Facebook would mean Facebook could also facilitate peer-to-peer payments. The company already offers payments like this in Messenger, but not on Facebook’s main website or app.”
Australian banks form digital payments joint venture
NAB, Westpac and CBA team up with new payments app, Beem — The Sydney Morning Herald — “Three of the country’s banking giants are joining forces to allow instant payments between people or to small businesses via a smartphone, with plans to ultimately roll out a cross-industry ‘digital wallet’… The app will be the first service offered by a new digital payments joint venture that has been formed between CBA, NAB and Westpac… ANZ is not part of the joint venture but it has been involved in some of the discussions with rivals, and it may sign up in the future.”
Zelle reports 65,000 new customers a day for its bank-led P2P payments service
Zelle returns to Money 20/20 with a surge in network payments — Zelle — “In Q3 2017 (July – Sept) Zelle payments surged, with an average of 65,000 consumers enrolling daily, resulting in the network processing more than 60m real-time person-to-person (P2P) payments, valued at US$17.5bn… This success comes as the number of financial institutions in the Zelle Network grows to more than 50.”
Facebook Messenger adds PayPal P2P payments
Send money to friends and family in Messenger with PayPal — PayPal — “We’re excited today to announce an expansion of our relationship with Facebook with the addition of PayPal as a funding source for peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, right in Messenger… We are also introducing our first-ever PayPal customer service bot for Messenger, so PayPal customers can seamlessly receive payment and account support directly in the app.”
PayPal to turn Venmo P2P payments app into ‘ubiquitous digital wallet’
Venmo now accepted at millions of retailers — PayPal — “Starting this week, Venmo customers can use their Venmo account to shop and make purchases on their mobile phone at more than two million US retailers, almost everywhere PayPal is accepted… Our vision for Venmo is to not only be the go-to app for payments between friends, but also a ubiquitous digital wallet that helps consumers spend wherever and however they want to pay, regardless of device.”
Bank of America reports $4bn in P2P payments
A big bank Is catching up to PayPal and Square — Barron’s — “Bank of America released its third quarter earnings on Friday morning and executives spoke confidently about Zelle, the payments platform used by several big banks. The total number of peer-to-peer payments made over the Zelle network by Bank of America customers jumped 68% on a year-over-year basis to 13.6m, and the total payment volume jumped 40% to US$4bn, the bank said. Earlier this year, Bank of America integrated Zelle into its mobile app.”
Japanese banks to pilot blockchain-based mobile payments service
Fujitsu to conduct blockchain field trial of money transfer service with three major Japanese banks — Fujitsu — “Fujitsu will develop a cloud-based blockchain platform for money transfers between individuals that can be jointly used by these three major banks, as well as a smartphone application that allows users to easily handle the different steps for sending money and for making deposits and withdrawals.”
Venmo moves into merchant payment processing
Venmo will allow users to pay at merchants like Williams-Sonoma — Recode — “Venmo oversaw US$8bn in transactions in Q2 of 2017, double what it did the year before, but has yet to find a way to monetize since the regular service is free. Merchant processing fees from partnerships like Williams-Sonoma would be the first step in making money from transactions… Earlier this year, Venmo started testing a physical debit card in which Venmo customers could use their balance toward purchases at all retailers.”
US banks’ P2P payments service reports 100m transactions
Zelle money movement momentum continues — Zelle — “More than 50,000 consumers are enrolling daily, contributing to more than 100m real-time person-to-person (P2P) payments, totaling US$33.6bn, in the first half of 2017… Next week millions more will have the opportunity to send and receive money with Zelle through a new mobile app.”
Ride-hailing app Grab launches e-payment and fund transfer system
Ride-hailing app Grab launches e-payment and fund transfer system — The Straits Times — “Users will be able to transfer GrabPay credits between themselves via its in-app mobile wallet… Grab also aims to work with more than 1,000 merchants in the retail, entertainment and food and beverage industries to accept mobile payments through GrabPay in the fourth quarter of 2017.”