Nine in ten Chinese mobile internet users (92%) choose mobile payment apps such as WeChat Pay as their primary offline payment method today, research released by Tencent Online Media Group’s newly launched research project China Tech Insights reveals, while “smartphone built-in payment tools” such as Apple Pay are currently used by approximately 12%. More
Customers of US Bank will be offered a high-end credit card from 1 May 2017 that will award them triple points per dollar spent through a mobile payment made using Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay or Microsoft Wallet... More
PARTNER NEWS: Guala Closures Group, a world leader in security closures, has teamed up with NXP to introduce an NFC-based tamper evident closure solution for the wine and spirits industry that is designed to protect brands, enable advanced anti-counterfeiting and tamper-proofing and enable brand owners to make VIP offers, loyalty rewards and more available to customers through a tap of their NFC mobile device. More
Mobile payments are the best example of how technology can add value to traditional banking services, says CaixaBank Payments’ head of mobile — and benefits will come not only in the form of increased revenues but also in the form of improved customer satisfaction, reputation and loyalty. More
Consumers can now be offered the chance to win prizes related to the purchases they make both in-store and online by playing games such as scratch cards and slot machines that are integrated into a merchant’s payment confirmation pages online and at the payment terminal in a store. More
Amazon customers across the US can now top up their Amazon balance using cash at “thousands of participating convenience, grocery and drug stores” by showing a printed barcode or a barcode on their mobile device to the cashier. They will then be able to use the funds to make online purchases at Amazon. More
Customers of coffee chain Dunkin’ Donuts across the US can now place orders and complete a payment before leaving the house using their mobile phone and a new feature that has been added to Google-owned traffic and navigation app Waze. More
Motorists across Canada can now pay for fuel and car washes as well as accumulate loyalty rewards using a mobile payment service that is being rolled out by fuel retailer Imperial Oil to 1,000 Esso-branded gas stations nationwide. More
Starbucks customers in India can now use their phones to pay for orders and earn loyalty program ‘Stars’ following the launch of the Starbucks India app... More
A digital cash service allowing consumers — including those without bank accounts — to load money onto a range of wearable items and make contactless payments in retail outlets will roll out across “eight or nine countries” in North America, Europe and Africa from April 2017... More
Transaction-based incentives are driving the use of mobile payments both in-store and in-app across the US, research from Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG) shows, with those who received an incentive to use mobile payments in-store over a one-week period doing so 4.6 times compared to 3.1 times for those not offered an incentive... More
Android Pay has launched in Belgium with support for Mastercard and Visa credit cards from BNP Paribas Fortis, Hello Bank... More
Apple is promoting adoption of Apple Pay in Japan via a two month campaign that offers a wide range of rewards and benefits to consumers who choose to use the NFC payments service. More
PARTNER NEWS: Mahindra Comviva is making it possible for mobile money operators to increase user engagement with the addition of a new service that enables relevant offers and promotions to be delivered automatically to users’ mobile devices... More
PARTNER NEWS: Rambus has unveiled a mobile payments platform that will allow retailers to launch mobile payment and loyalty services that securely store and manage a variety of payment cards, as well as gift cards and loyalty points, to enable consumers to pay with credit, points and coupons in a single transaction at the point of sale... More
Samsung Pay has begun rolling out in Malaysia with support from CIMB, Citibank and Standard Chartered, with Hong Leong Bank coming soon... More
Russian mobile network operator MTS has launched MTS Money Wallet, an online payments and money transfer service that incorporates loyalty points, offers and discounts, and is to be expanded to transport and in-store payments via NFC, SMS and USSD technologies later this year... More
Mobile financial service providers are failing to fully realise the potential of loyalty programs to drive revenue growth, a survey by customer experience solutions provider Amdocs and consultancy firm Ovum says, while those who employ loyalty programs are “better placed” to increase usage and adoption of their mobile wallet service... More
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
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