BofA jumps on tap-to-pay bandwagon as NYC’s subway moves forward — Bloomberg — “The lender will send 4m contactless cards this month to customers in New York, Boston and San Francisco who have Visa debit or credit cards… It plans to measure usage in those markets before deciding on a broader rollout at the beginning of next year.”
New York
Banks balk at Apple Card business
A Goldman Sachs rival pulled out of the Apple Card deal on fears it will be a money loser — CNBC — “‘Dude, if that portfolio ever makes money, I’m buying you a beer,’ an employee at the card department of a big bank texted a Goldman staffer… Citigroup was in advanced negotiations with Apple for the card but pulled out amid doubts that it could earn an acceptable profit on the partnership, according to people with knowledge of the talks… Goldman is ‘thrilled’ to be partnering with Apple, according to Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the New York-based bank.”
Visa survey highlights benefits of open loop cards for transit payments
Chase and Visa provide an easier way to get around New York City with a tap — Visa — “More than two-thirds (67%) of riders have missed a train while waiting in line to reload a transit card, according to a recent Visa survey of more than 1,000 New Yorkers who take public transportation. Eight out of ten (83%) people surveyed said they have had trouble getting their transit card to work at the turnstile. And two-thirds (66%) have left or forgotten funds on a transit card, at an average of $35.10 lost.”
NFC and contactless transit ticketing to go live in New York City from 31 May
About Omny — The MTA — “Starting on May 31, 2019, you can use Omny onboard all Staten Island buses and at all subway station entrances on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42 Street and Atlantic Av-Barclays Ctr. All remaining bus routes, subway stations, and Staten Island Railway locations will be equipped by late 2020. You will be able to use Omny for commuter rail by early 2021.”
Zola hails success of NFC tags in NYC pop-up store
US wedding planning and list specialist Zola says using NFC in its bricks and mortar pop-up store in New York City has helped to bring the showroom to life and been well received by its customers who use it to build their wedding gift lists... More
Apple Pay expands to transit systems in the US
Apple is expanding its support for transit systems, enabling travellers in the US to use Apple Pay as a replacement for travel tickets... More
Manhattan skyscraper secures fire safety system with tamper-evident NFC tags
PARTNER NEWS: Two thousand HID Trusted Tags have been installed in “one of Manhattan’s most iconic skyscrapers” to improve the security and management of the building’s fire and safety sprinkler system... More
Apple Pay runs ‘Lose your wallet’ promotion in New York City
Lose your wallet — Apple — “Use Apple Pay to get exclusive offers for a limited time in Greenwich Village, Nolita, Park Slope, and Williamsburg.”
Nike unveils limited edition NFC sneakers that deliver member-only perks
Nike launches connected shoe that builds on tech from NBA jerseys — SportTechie — “NikePlus members in New York City will be able to purchase Nike’s first-ever connected sneaker, called AF1 NikeConnect QS NYC, via the Nike Snkrs app. A near field communication (NFC) chip embedded into the shoe will activate exclusive members-only opportunities when scanned with a user’s smartphone.”
Campari fridge magnets let customers order drinks via NFC
Out of Espolòn Tequila or Aperol? Touch your phone to your new Campari America refrigerator magnet to automatically order more — Campari America — “When consumers want to order or re-order their favorite Campari America brand, they simply touch their iPhone or Android smartphone to one of six available branded ‘smart’ magnets. The NFC chip embedded in the magnet then prompts Drizly to open the specific website page for that brand and gives the consumer the option to add the item to their cart and immediately check out, with the product being delivered by local retailers — all in one cohesive mobile experience.”
Restaurants report on benefits of going cash-free
Plastic is king at New York restaurants that no longer accept cash — CBS — “Restaurants said no cash means no wasting time running to the bank for change, or spending hours counting money. They also say business is up. ‘So much faster. With one person on one register we can move 150 people through here in an hour. It’s insane how much faster it is.’
First US gym adds support for Apple Watch NFC pairing with exercise machines
Apple Watch GymKit syncing arrives in exactly one US gym — Engadget — “GymKit syncing on the Apple Watch technically arrived with watchOS 4.1, but there’s been one main obstacle to using it: Actually finding a gym that supports it. Only one fitness center each in Australia and the UK have enabled it so far… One solitary gym in New York City, Life Time Athletic at Sky, now has 13 GymKit-capable machines (including treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and stair steppers) that will pair with your smartwatch.”
New York City to get NFC mobile ticketing from 2019
MTA approves plan to scrap MetroCards for ‘tap’ payment system — New York Daily News — “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board took its first step on Monday to retire the MetroCard and bring technology to let people “tap” their way through turnstiles and onto buses… Transit passengers in 2019 will be able to tap their way using a bank card or smartphone on 500 turnstiles and 600 buses, plus load up their chosen device with money online… In 2020, all subway stations and buses will have the tech.”
Shake Shack to open cashless kiosk in New York
Shake Shack to open cashless, kiosk-only location in New York City — CNBC — “Located in Astor Place, this Shake Shack won’t have a cashier’s counter. Instead, guests will use digital kiosks or their mobile phones to place orders. Manning these kiosks will be “hospitality champs,” Shake Shack employees who specialize in making customers’ time in the restaurant as seamless and enjoyable as possible.”
US airport stores to automatically file expense reports for business travellers
Business travellers will soon be able to make in-store purchases at select retailers and restaurants inside three US airports and have their expenses automatically submitted on their behalf through the point-of-sale system so that they “don’t need to worry about creating an expense claim down the line”. More
Gulf Oil unveils Gulf Pay for mobile payments and special offers at fuel stations
Customers at Gulf Oil fuel stations across select New England and New York markets in the US are to pilot a new mobile payment service that will enable drivers to navigate to the nearest station, pay for fuel at the pump, receive exclusive offers and purchase products inside the convenience store... More
Apple Pay advertising sparks strong rise in contactless payments at vending machines
Digital advertising promoting the availability of Apple Pay at unattended vending machines has resulted in a 36.5% increase in overall sales for cashless vending machine technology provider USA Technologies (USAT) as well as a 135.2% increase in NFC mobile payments, a six-month study now available to download from the NFC World Knowledge Centre reveals... More
Nordic bank to use blockchain for money transfers
Nordic bank SEB has signed an agreement with distributed financial technology provider Ripple to use the company’s blockchain technology solution as a basis for payment transactions... More
Alipay targets 2bn global users
Chinese mobile payments giant Alipay is targeting 2bn users globally in the next decade, the company’s Douglas Feagin has revealed at Money20/20 in Las Vegas... More
MTA goes live with Masabi mobile ticketing
Passengers on New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) can now pay for tickets and have them validated on their smartphone... More