Banks in the Netherlands are seeking to combat the spread of Covid-19 by increasing the maximum value of contactless transactions that a cardholder can make before needing to enter a PIN to €100 (US$107.07), up from the previous €50 (US$53.54)... More
Customers of India’s Icici Bank can now make a cash withdrawal at any of the bank’s 15,000 ATMs, using just their mobile phone... More
Swiss bank Cornèr Banca has launched a biometric payment card that lets customers make contactless payments without being restricted to the usual CHF40 (US$40) contactless transaction limit... More
The German government is using the NFC contactless chip reading capabilities now available on Apple iPhones in a new iOS app that lets citizens securely identify themselves to a range of online service providers by reading their contactless national ID card with their smartphone... More
The US Army is looking to replace its current smartcard-based Common Access Card (CAC) with “wireless, lightweight, flexible and rugged” wearable contactless identity tokens that can be inserted into a soldier’s pocket, attached to a sleeve or integrated into a wristband... More
Uber has launched a trial of its pedal-assisted electric bikes in London as part of its strategy to become an all-round transport app... More
PARTNER NEWS: Antelop Solutions has launched an integrated onboarding, authentication and mobile payments platform for Android and iOS devices that lets both traditional and challenger banks combine “best-in-class” end-to-end security with a user friendly, PSD2-compliant, mobile-first consumer experience... More
Ithmaar Bank launches biometric ATM network — Trade Arabia — “Ithmaar Bank customers are no longer required to use their cards at the bank’s ATMs. Instead, they can simply use their fingerprint along with their PIN to process financial transactions… To use the service for the first time, customers will need to register their fingerprint data at their nearest branch. The one-time registration only takes a few minutes and allows customer immediate access to the new service.”
NatWest Bank is to run a trial of fingerprint-on-card authentication allowing a cardholder to make contactless payments above the current level of £30... More
E Sun Commercial Bank has fitted face recognition security to its ATMs... More
Kroger introduces Kroger Pay and Kroger Rewards debit card — The Kroger Co — “After a customer enters their custom PIN or biometrics, the app provides customers with a single-use QR code to scan at the terminal to quickly communicate payment and loyalty card information, which includes digital coupons and personalized offers… Kroger Pay recently launched in the retailer’s Columbus, Ohio division. The service will roll out to 10 additional markets in the spring, with plans to go nationwide later this year.”
CaixaBank, the world’s first bank to use facial recognition to withdraw cash at ATMs — CaixaBank — “CaixaBank has become the world’s first financial institution to offer its customers the ability to use facial recognition to withdraw cash from ATMs, without having to enter their PIN… CaixaBank now has this verification system in place in four Store branches in Barcelona, with a total of 20 terminals. The company plans to progressively expand facial recognition across its Store offices from the second half of 2019.”
Additional benefit for Mastercard contactless consumers — CorD Magazine — “Mastercard today announced that the maximum amount for contactless payments without a PIN will increase to RSD3,000 (US$28.76)… The current limit for contactless payments without a PIN, set at RSD1,500, was established in 2008.”
PARTNER NEWS: Card issuers could soon be able to more easily make use of trusted execution environments (TEEs) to add security to their HCE mobile payments apps, mobile transaction specialist Dejamobile explains in a new white paper which is now available to download free of charge from the NFCW Knowledge Centre... More
Customers of Dutch bank ABN Amro can now connect a wide range of Mastercard-certified wearables to their bank account and use them to make both standard, low value contactless payments and also, by entering a PIN at the point of sale, higher value transactions beyond the contactless limit as well... More
Emirates Islamic launches cardless cash withdrawal feature via its mobile banking app — Zawya — “Customers can now initiate the cash withdrawal from the bank’s mobile banking app and the funds can then be withdrawn from any Emirates Islamic ATM without using a debit or credit card. This innovative service also allows the bank’s customers to make transfers to recipients using only their mobile phone number. Beneficiaries will receive an SMS with a one-time PIN to withdraw the amount transferred from the closest Emirates Islamic ATM.”
More than half of UK consumers (54%) would use a biometric payment card if their bank made one available today, a new survey has found, and 82% say it would become their preferred payment card... More
Societe Generale is testing the idea of issuing bank cards that incorporate a built-in fingerprint verification sensor with the aim of using the added security the cards provide to allow customers to make contactless payments “with no limit on the amount.”... More
Card issuers will no longer need to include a signature panel on the back of Mastercard products, the payments network has announced... More
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.”