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.”
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA/Commbank)
CBA to support Garmin Pay wearable payments in Australia
Commonwealth Bank announces new ways to pay with Android Pay and Garmin Pay — Commonwealth Bank of Australia — “In June this year we saw weekly transactions across the CommBank app hit A$6.1bn (US$4.89bn) so we know customers love using their phones to make payments and do their banking. Since 2013 our customers have been able to use their smartphones to make payments. By offering customers the ability to pay with Android Pay and with their Garmin smartwatches we are combining choice and convenience.”
Australian banks lose fight to gain access to NFC functionality in Apple iPhones
The group of Australian banks seeking stronger negotiating powers with Apple over the NFC technology within its iPhone handsets have been denied access to it by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the grounds that the proposed conduct would “reduce or distort competition in a number of markets” and that the benefits are “outweighed by the detriments”. More
Australian banks brand non-NFC alternatives to Apple Pay ‘unrealistic’
Relying on Android or alternatives to NFC for successful mobile payment services in a country with one of the world’s largest iPhone market shares and high contactless card use is “unrealistic”, the group of Australian banks seeking access to the iPhone’s NFC functionality say in their latest submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)... More
Australian banks drop Apple Pay fee request to focus on iPhone NFC access
The group of Australian banks arguing for the right to collectively negotiate with Apple over the introduction of Apple Pay in the country have dropped their request to jointly arrange how to “pass-through” additional fees Apple imposes on its mobile payment service, and will now focus solely on gaining access to the NFC functionality within the iPhone... More
Australia’s retailers join the banks in their battle with Apple Pay
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has come out in support of the group of four Australian banks seeking stronger negotiation powers with Apple over the introduction of Apple Pay in the country, saying they believe access to the NFC functionality in the iPhone would allow retailers to provide “a richer and more convenient customer experience”... More
Apple Pay boss claims Australians will be ‘happy to switch banks’ for the mobile payments service
Apple Pay boss Jennifer Bailey says she believes Australians will be “happy to switch banks” in order to use Apple Pay, while the group of four Australian banks wanting the ability to collectively negotiate with Apple over the introduction of the mobile payments service risks “being left behind” in the development of digital wallets by doing so... More
Apple accuses Australian banks of Apple Pay transaction fee ‘trojan horse’
Australian banks are using fees on Apple Pay transactions as a “trojan horse” to discourage the use of its mobile payments service and to condition consumers to accept transaction fees with the “longer term view to setting a precedent for charging for mobile payments on other digital wallets,” Apple claims in its latest submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)... More
Alipay comes to more Australian stores
Australian merchants using Quest Payment Systems payment terminals can integrate support for Alipay mobile payments following a software update... More
Australian bank reveals NFC payments sticker use
Some 400,000 Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) customers have registered to use the bank’s NFC payments sticker, making 600,000 monthly payments, The Sydney Morning Herald says... More
ACCC denies authorisation to Australian banks over Apple Pay negotiation
The group of Australian banks seeking better negotiation powers over the arrival of third party mobile wallets have been denied authorisation to do so in a draft determination by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)... More
Apple’s NFC restriction hits mobile payments innovation, Australian banks claim
The group of Australian banks taking on Apple over access to the NFC technology within iPhone handsets says the restriction is not only preventing the introduction of mobile wallet services across multiple platforms but also proving detrimental to continued investment into mobile payment apps... More
Apple says Australian banks are ‘not interested’ in promoting mobile payments competition
Apple is claiming the group of Australian banks pushing for the company to open up access to the NFC technology within its handsets is “not interested in promoting competition in mobile payments” within the country... More
Alipay heads to Australia with Commonwealth Bank
Alipay has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Commonwealth Bank of Australia to enable in-store and online payments for Chinese tourists in Australia... More
Australian banks call Apple’s NFC restriction “completely baseless”
Apple’s claim that allowing access to the NFC technology within its iPhones would diminish the security of Apple Pay has been branded “completely baseless” by a group of four Australian banks, who are seeking greater powers of negotiation over the entry of third-party mobile wallets in the country... More
South Korean firms the latest to take action against Apple
A group of South Korean financial services providers are following in the footsteps of four Australian banks by preparing to take action against Apple in a bid to pressurise the technology giant into opening up the NFC technology within its iPhone handsets... More
CBA and Barclays team up for P2P payments
Customers of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and UK bank Barclays will soon be able to send money to each other using a mobile phone number through CBA’s CommBank app and Barclays’ Pingit P2P payment service... More
Apple says NFC access “not open to negotiation with any bank”
Apple has made clear that allowing access to the NFC technology within its iPhone is “not open to negotiation with any bank”. More
ACCC rejects Australian banks’ negotiation bid
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has decided not to grant a group of Australian banks interim authorization to “collectively negotiate” with third party mobile wallet providers. More
Apple says Australian banks’ plans would “diminish” security
Apple is urging the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to reject a request from a group of the country’s banks to “collectively negotiate” with third party mobile wallet providers over the introduction of mobile payment services. More