Santa Claus may be leveraging NFC technology for seamless global gift distribution

NFC Forum Santa using mobile payment to buy Christmas present cartoon

Lapland-based festive cheer provider Santa Claus may be leveraging NFC technology across multiple use cases including vehicle access, identity verification and contactless payments for last-minute purchases in order to facilitate the global distribution of seasonal gifts over the Christmas period, images released by the NFC Forum suggest... More


IATA publishes standards to support rollout of contactless biometric ID for document-free international air travel

IATA logo

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has published a set of industry standards for a mechanism that will enable international air passengers to pass through all airport processes using only contactless biometric recognition technology by generating verified digital travel credentials and sending them to destination authorities and airlines in advance of travel... More



Three in four airline passengers want biometric ID to replace passports and boarding passes

IATA airline passenger survey infographic about biometric ID preference

Three in four airline passengers worldwide want to use biometric data to verify their identity when they travel rather than their passport and boarding pass (75%) in order to simplify, speed up and facilitate airport processes such as check-in, security and border control, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey has found... More


Holland America Line lets cruise passengers check in with their face

Cruise passenger using Holland America Line mBark face recognition check in

Passengers on Holland America Line cruise ships will soon be able to check in before embarkation with their face using contactless biometric face verification technology and confirm their health status with a digital version of their Covid-19 vaccination certificate or test results stored on their mobile device... More








Marriott to let Chinese guests use face recognition to check in to its hotels

Joint venture of Alibaba Group and Marriott International trials facial recognition check-in technology — Marriott International — “The pilot will kick off from July 2018 at two Marriott International properties in China — Hangzhou Marriott Hotel Qianjiang and Sanya Marriott Hotel Dadonghai Bay, with the goal of global rollout across Marriott International’s properties in the future… Chinese guests simply need to scan their IDs, take a photo and input contact details on a self-help machine. The intelligent device will then dispense room key cards after identities and booking information are verified.”


More than half the Hilton portfolio to be digital key enabled by end of year

More than half the Hilton portfolio to be digital key enabled by end of year — Hilton — “Hilton Honors members have widely adopted the app’s technology features and continue to set new records for usage and engagement, including 30m digital check-ins, three million room key downloads and more than 13.6m doors opened. In the month of July, a door was unlocked with Digital Key every two seconds.”


NFC World

Carnival unveils NFC and BLE wearable for cruise ship passengers

Ocean Medallion

Holidaymakers aboard Carnival Corporation cruise ships will soon be given an NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled wearable device, designed by the man behind Disney’s MagicBand, that will let them access a range of next generation services including boarding without checking in, unlocking rooms, accessing personalised entertainment, ordering food and making payments. More


Starwood expands keyless entry to hotels worldwide

Starwood

The Bluetooth-based mobile keyless entry solution unveiled by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in November 2014 has been extended to select Le Méridien, Westin, Sheraton and Four Points hotels, with “many additional properties” expected to go live with SPG Keyless over the coming months... More


What's New in Payments

SmarTone unveils Kiss mobile marketing platform with NFC payments and Bluetooth beacons

Hong Kong mobile network operator SmarTone has unveiled Kissco, an end-to-end mobile marketing platform incorporating Kiss Pay, a mobile payments service based on NFC and ultrasound technology, a Kiss Dollars loyalty program and Kiss Beacons to allow retailers to send out offers and promotions directly to customers’ smartphones from their stores... More


NFC World

DS Tags launches electronic luggage label with NFC and Bluetooth

DS Bagtag

Netherlands-based DS Tags is at an advanced stage with “several top-tier airlines” in planning the delivery of DS Bagtag, a solution that incorporates an NFC- and Bluetooth-enabled electronic luggage label, a secure cloud-based travel document delivery service platform and a mobile app that lets the user check themselves and their luggage onto their flight before arriving at the airport... More