Convenience store giant 7-Eleven is piloting a mobile self-checkout service in 14 stores in the Dallas area, just two months after it began accepting contactless and mobile payments across its 8,000+ US stores... More
iOS
HID Global expands investment in NFC brand protection solutions
PARTNER NEWS: HID Global is increasing investment in its NFC-based Trusted Tag brand protection service and expanding its network of solution providers around the world... More
Yubico combines Fido2 with NFC for passwordless logins
Security key maker Yubico has introduced a new range of hardware keys that support Fido2 passwordless authentication, including a version which offers NFC for “touch based authentication for NFC supported Android and iOS devices and applications.” ... More
NXP unveils high security NFC tags that let brands deliver digitally connected products at scale
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has launched two new NFC tags that incorporate both product protection and channel authentication security features, enabling brands to take advantage of the tag reading capabilities of both Android and iOS devices to roll out NFC-based customer communication and product authentication services at scale... More
Apple adds support for Express Card NFC transactions that work even when an iPhone’s battery is almost flat
Apple’s just-published iOS 12 security guide has revealed a new feature which will see owners of the latest iPhones able to conduct some NFC transactions even when the device has all but shut down because the battery needs to be charged... More
Skanska deploys mobile keys at new headquarters in Warsaw
HID Global helps create an integrated mobile experience and enhances security at the new Skanska office complex in Warsaw — HID Global — PARTNER NEWS — “Spark building employees and their guests can now move throughout the building with nothing more than a smartphone, without the risk of them gaining access to restricted areas — unless the proper access rights are granted. When users arrive at the door, they simply tap their iOS and Android devices to an iClass SE reader using near field communications (NFC) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and HID’s ‘twist and go’ feature to gain access from a distance. Any changes to the user’s access rights are remotely managed by the administrator through a cloud-based portal.”
Apple to add new NFC features in iOS 12?
Apple is set to announce that iOS 12 will include “a significant change” to the iPhone’s NFC capabilities that “could pave the way for people to use iPhones for other security-sensitive interactions, from paying transit fares and opening car doors to verifying their identity in other ways”, according to a report in The Information... More
Google Pay begins to roll out on the web
5 ways Google Pay can save you time and money at checkout — Google — “We’re starting to roll out Google Pay on the web from desktop and iOS — which means you’ll start seeing it when you’re shopping on browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox, no matter your device… Once you’ve added a card to Google Pay, you won’t need to enter your payment info again — even when you’re checking out in an app or on a site for the first time. And if you’re checking out on Chrome, Google Pay can automatically fill in your billing, shipping, and payment info, so you don’t have to bother with forms.”
Beijing Metro begins accepting QR code mobile tickets at turnstiles
QR code smartphone tickets available for subway — China.org.cn — “Travellers in Beijing can now use a QR code on their smartphone as a ticket to ride the subway… Passengers can download an app called RuubyPay that generates a QR code ticket that can be read using a scanner built into the subway turnstiles. The QR code scanning app can be used on any smartphone running iOS or Android that is connected to the internet, according to Sina.com. Tickets can be paid for using a linked bank, Alipay, or JD Finance account.”
Google Assistant adds support for voice-based payments
Now the Google Assistant can take care of your IOUs — Google — “Starting today, you can ask your Google Assistant to pay your friends back with Google Pay… You can easily send or request money from your contacts — for free — using the Assistant on Android and iOS phones in the US. In the coming months, you’ll be able to send money on voice-activated speakers like Google Home… To get started, just say ‘Hey Google, request $20 from Sam for the show tonight’ or ‘Hey Google, send Jane $15 for lunch today.’”
Apple Pay to add support for transit cards?
Apple Pay is set to add support for closed loop transit cards, issued by public transportation operators, information found in the code of the latest version of iOS suggests... More
Apple to let iPhone X owners use Face ID to approve kids’ purchases
iPhone X owners will soon be able to use Face ID to approve family purchases — The Verge — “In iOS 11.3, purchase approvals on a parent’s device can be done through Face ID, after a one-time request to enter their password. Previously, iPhone X owners found the Ask to Buy iOS feature that allows parents to control what children buy with their phone didn’t work with Face ID. Parents had to enter their passwords manually for every purchase, to the chagrin of many customers.”
Apple details Apple Pay Cash in updated iOS Security guide
iOS Security — Apple — “When you set up Apple Pay Cash, the same information as when you add a credit or debit card may be shared with our partner bank Green Dot Bank and with Apple Payments Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary created to protect your privacy by storing and processing information separately from the rest of Apple and in a way that the rest of Apple doesn’t know.”
Apple begins to switch on Apple Pay Cash
Apple Pay Cash is rolling out for iOS 11.2 users — The Verge — “Apple was forced to release iOS 11.2 on Saturday, which was a little earlier than planned, due to a software bug. Now, Apple Pay Cash — one of the marquee features of the update — is being activated for users… The new feature is only available in the US for now, though.”
Apple Pay Cash enters internal testing
Apple employees testing Apple Pay Cash internally in iOS 11.1 — MacRumours — “Employee testers are required to download iOS 11.1, install an additional internal-only beta profile, and have their Apple IDs white listed to access Apple Pay Cash.”
Baseball team uses iOS 11 to issue NFC tickets to fans
An MLB team is using the iPhone’s NFC feature for contactless stadium entry — Techcrunch — “The Oakland Athletics are piloting a new NFC ticketing solution which lets fans enter the stadium by tapping their phone (or Apple Watch) to a ticket scanner — just like you’d do to use Apple Pay. The feature uses the NFC technology that is used for contactless rewards cards (like Walgreens Balance Rewards) via Apple Pay, and this is the first time the technology is being used outside of reward cards or stored balance gift cards.”
NXP releases NFC tag toolkit for iOS
PARTNER NEWS: NXP has announced a toolkit designed to make it easy for iOS 11 developers to take advantage of the NFC tag reading capabilities that are now supported by iPhones and unlock “the potential to now connect billions of consumer and industrial products to the Internet of Things (IoT)”... More
Apple releases iOS 11 with support for NFC tag reading
iOS 11 is now available to download — The Verge — “Today, Apple pushed out the final version of iOS 11, its latest mobile operating system release. Most iPhone and iPad units made in the last few years should be capable of downloading it now if you head over to the Settings panel and check for a software update under the General tab. For those who have been part of either the developer or public beta process, you’ll likely already have the finalized iOS 11 and shouldn’t need to do anything.”
US iPhone users ‘unlikely’ to use Face ID for payments
40% of Apple users to spurn facial recognition, according to Juniper survey — Juniper Research — “A new survey conducted by Juniper Research has found that over 40% of iOS users in the US consider themselves unlikely to use facial recognition as a payment security technology… Contactless payment users considered fingerprint sensors and voice recognition more appealing authentication methods, with 74% and 62% respectively saying they are likely to use these technologies.”