Transit Ticketing Today

MTA reports 4m contactless ticketing transactions

MTA expands Omny to Penn Station — New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority — “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced today that its cutting-edge Omny contactless fare payment system is now available at the 34 St-Penn Station intermodal complex, one of the busiest transit hubs in North America… The news comes hot on the heels of another major milestone: the recent surpassing of 4m taps, far exceeding even the most optimistic usage projections.” 


What's New in Payments

EBA Clearing publishes pan-European request to pay specs

EBA Clearing delivers specifications for a pan-European request to pay infrastructure solution — EBA Clearing — “A pan-European request to pay approach is seen as the missing piece of the puzzle for market players to create innovative payment products and services for their customers that leverage real-time messaging, the SEPA schemes and existing cost-efficient payment infrastructures, and that can be used across Europe.” 



What's New in Payments

Sweden’s central bank to test digital currency

Riksbank develops an e-krona in a test environment — Riksbank — “During the first year of the e-krona pilot project, a technical platform will be developed with a user interface that enables, for instance, payment with the e-krona from a mobile phone, a card and a watch. The platform will also contain simulations of payment service providers, retail outlets and other parts of the Swedish payment system.” 


Transit Ticketing Today

NFC ticketing to go live on Washington DC trains and buses in 2020

Starting some time next year, you can tap into Metro with an IPhone — DCist — “The service will be available on Apple products first, but a Google spokesperson confirms that the company is also working with Metro to launch a mobile card for Android users in 2020… Once Apple turns on the service, it will be available to use at every station, on every bus, and in every parking garage on the system — anywhere SmarTrip can be used.” 



What's New in Payments

Juniper forecasts 161m contactless POS terminals by 2024

Contactless point of sale installed base to exceed 161m by 2024 — Juniper Research — “New data from Juniper Research forecasts that the installed base of contactless-enabled POS (Point of Sale) devices will exceed 161m by 2024; growing from 78m in 2019. Contactless POS devices will then be 94% of all POS devices in use.” 


What's New in Payments

Chinese fraudsters turn to QR codes to spread Trojans and viruses

QR code scams rise in China, putting e-payment security in spotlight — South China Morning Post — “By replacing legitimate merchants’ codes with malevolent copies, fraudsters can gain access to consumers’ data and even raid their bank accounts… According to one senior official and technology expert, almost a quarter of Trojans — malicious programs disguised as benign software – and other viruses are transmitted though QR codes.” 


What's New in Payments

Report: US retailers must pay a premium for Apple Card transactions

Retailers don’t like paying the fees for your Apple Card — Bloomberg — “The card, marketed by Apple and backed by Goldman Sachs Group Inc, is designated ‘elite’, which allows it to levy significantly higher interchange fees on each swipe or tap… The cards have long irked retailers. They have no choice but to pay the higher fees for elite plastic if they want to accept any of a network’s credit cards.” 


Tinkoff turns its mobile banking app into a full-service digital marketplace

Tinkoff super-app boosts digital leadership in European fintech space — Tinkoff — “The super-app is both our own version of the App Store, with its own mini apps, and the first WeChat-like app in the Russian or any European financial market, featuring products and services from our partners… External partners can connect to the marketplace (via open API) using the ‘app-in-app’ model and offer targeted products and services within the Tinkoff app.” 


What's New in Payments

German savings banks switch on support for Apple Pay

Savings banks introduce Apple Pay — Der Spiegel (translation) — “After much hesitation, the savings banks and additional German banks are now offering the Apple Pay mobile payment service… 371 out of a total of 379 German savings banks have now introduced the digital payment service. More than 50 million people can use the service immediately.” 


Transit Ticketing Today

Osaka Metro begins Japan’s first face recognition ticketing pilot

Osaka Metro unveils ticket gate with facial recognition tech — The Japan Times — “The trial period, set to run through September next year, will be conducted at four stations: Dome-mae Chiyozaki, Morinomiya, Dobutsuen-mae and Daikokucho. Each station will have facial recognition gates developed by four different firms to compare their functionality… The subway operator aims to introduce the gates at all of its train stations by fiscal 2024, ahead of the 2025 World Expo in the city of Osaka.” 


Transit Ticketing Today

Garanti lets customers use its mobile banking app to top up their transit card

Istanbul travel card top-ups are fast, easy, and free with Garanti BBVA’s mobile app — BBVA — “To take advantage of this feature, customers simply need to register their card with the app. They can then add to the balance directly from their Garanti BBVA account, free of charge. Customers can also refill travel cards for friends and family.” 



What's New in Payments

Interflora lets customers use Alexa to order and pay for flowers

‘Alexa, send flowers’: Order a bouquet in time for Christmas using only your voice — Interflora — “Global flower delivery company Interflora has become the first UK retail brand to launch a complete end-to-end ‘V-commerce’ service, with just one simple voice-based transaction making it possible to send flowers via Alexa and check out with Amazon Pay, all without lifting a finger.” 


What's New in Payments

Mastercard pilots decentralized digital identities

Mastercard brings digital identity to real world tests — Mastercard — “The pilot will test a new way for people to prove their identity without having to carry multiple documents. Instead, the model allows the data to sit with its rightful owner — the user. It will activate a distributed model that blends information stored on an individual’s mobile device and verified by additional reference points, such as an individual’s bank or participating government agencies.” 



NFC World

Sheep Inc uses NFC tags to let sweater buyers trace their purchase back to the original fleece

Sheep Inc: The world’s first carbon-negative fashion brand — Evening Standard — “Each sweater comes with an NFC tag on the hem, marked with a unique serial number. When scanned with a smartphone, the full details of the garment’s manufacturing journey and carbon-footprint are unlocked… In amongst all the information and insights on material origins, water usage and production techniques that appear when you scan the tag, is also the name of the sheep who provided the wool for your sweater.” 


What's New in Payments

Chinese banks and carriers to pilot central bank digital currency

China’s central bank likely to pilot digital currency in cities of Shenzhen and Suzhou — Coindesk — “The People’s Bank of China is said to be preparing to launch pilots for its digital currency in at least two major cities. The tests are likely to include the participation of state-owned partners. These comprise the ‘Big Four’ commercial banks — the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Bank of China, China Construction Bank and the Agricultural Bank of China — and three telcos: China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom.” 


What's New in Payments

Danish office workers pilot face recognition payments

Nets trials face payments in Copenhagen — Nets — “Around 1,000 people — all working at Vibenshuset, an office community of 25 companies in Copenhagen — can sign up to participate in the pilot. By linking their face with their employee ID card, they can now pay for their lunch using their face at Kokkenes Køkken’s cafeteria.”