What's New in Payments

NTT Docomo celebrates 15th anniversary of world’s first mobile payment service

NTT Docomo celebrates Osaifu Keitai 15th anniversary — Ata Distance — “It all started today, July 1, 2004, when NTT Docomo launched the iMode FeliCa mobile wallet, called Osaifu Keitai in Japanese… To celebrate the anniversary Docomo has lined up a bunch of point campaigns for all the Osaifu Keitai payment networks: Mobile Suica, iD, QuicPay, Waon, Nanaco, Edy.”


NFC World

NFC testing disruptor Cilab joins the NFC World Partner Program

Cilab's ci230 high-speed NFC tester

PARTNER NEWS: Cilab’s ci230 high speed tester takes a whole new approach to NFC testing that makes it faster and easier to conduct pre-certification testing, makes the certification process quicker and cheaper, lets customers get a fast return on investment — and a competitive advantage from speeding up time to market... More




NFC World

Apple includes NFC tag writing in major upgrade to Core NFC framework

Apple's Siri Shortcuts NFC stickers

Updates to Apple’s Core NFC framework in iOS 13 will make it possible to write to NFC tags from an iPhone for the first time. Support will also be added for a new kind of ‘value added service’ tag and for reading and writing to ISO 7816 smart cards and tags and ISO 15693 (NFC Forum Type 5) vicinity cards and tags. Integration with Siri Shortcuts for single tap, multi-step automated workflows is also being added. More


NFC World

Apple to open up the iPhone’s NFC chip at WWDC?

Apple may expand the iPhone’s NFC tech to third-party developers during WWDC — TechSpot — “NFC is getting major improvements, including the ability for third-party developers to read any ISO 7816, FeliCa or MiFare tags. Currently, only tags formatted as NDEF can be read by third-party apps… Keep in mind, the news is from anonymous sources and is far from official.”




NFC World

ST combines an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM in a single mobile security chip

STMicroelectronics' ST54J combines an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM on a single chip

PARTNER NEWS: STMicroelectronics has launched the ST54J, a single system-on-chip that lets mobile phone makers cut bill-of-materials costs, reduce PCB space and deliver faster performance by combining an NFC controller, secure element and eSIM into one unit that supports mobile payments, e-ticketing, remote provisioning and more... More


What's New in Payments

Apple Pay now available on older iPhones in Japan

iOS 11 activates Apple Pay for older Japanese iPhones — Ata Distance — UPDATE Further investigation has found that the following information is not accurate. Click through for further information — “With the NFC switching capabilities of iOS 11 Apple Pay Apple quietly activated Apple Pay Japan for older non-FeliCa NFC capable iPhones such as iPhone 6S. Surprised users with Japan issue cards that support JCB J/Speedy and Mastercard Contactless can add them to Apple Pay and use them at stores with EMV NFC-Pay ready readers.”


NFC World

New iPhones and Apple Watch to support NFC-F for FeliCa payments around the world

Global FeliCa for iPhone 8, iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3 — Ata Distance — “Though Apple is very low key about global NFC-F support, FeliCa systems outside of Japan, such as Hong Kong’s MTR system and Octopus Card, and Singapore’s EZ-Link will be able to add Apple Pay Suica-like services… It also means that ‘inbound’ visitors to Japan can add Apple Pay Suica with the new devices.”






NFC World

Apple continues NFC support

Apple’s new flagship smartphones — the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus — as well as its second generation wearables range — the Apple Watch Series 2 — will carry support for Apple Pay... More