Steps being taken to address non-compliance with existing rules, rather than the introduction of new regulations, are the reason a number of Bitcoin card issuers are having to withdraw availability of their services from non-European customers, Visa has told NFC World... More
Prepaid
Meet the car key that’s also a contactless payment card
Meet the car key that’s also a contactless payment card — Techradar — “DS Automobiles has just launched the UK’s first contactless payment car key. Made for the DS 3 Connected Chic, the key works with Barclays’ bPay platform, allowing you to ‘top up’ the clever key with credit that can be spent at any shop that offers contactless payments.”
Bahrain to launch national e-wallet on July 4
Bahrain to launch national e-wallet on July 4 — Trade Arabia — “The national e-wallet is a joint initiative of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and Benefit and a first-of-its-kind project in the kingdom. It will enable instant payments via smartphones and also facilitate the collection of payments electronically through debit, credit and prepaid cards and online bank accounts, for online and in-store purchases.”
Visa to roll out cashless experience at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017
Visa to roll out cashless experience at the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 — Visa — “Alfa-Bank guests will also be able to use a payment ring for the first time at a FIFA event. The payment ring, attached to a prepaid card, features an embedded NFC-enabled antenna, enabling fans to tap to pay throughout Russia, anywhere contactless payments are accepted.”
MTS adds NFC mobile payments, offers and loyalty to Money Wallet
Customers of Russian mobile network operator MTS can now make NFC-based mobile payments and access loyalty points and exclusive offers using an updated version of the carrier’s MTS Money Wallet, which made its debut in February 2017... More
Zain signs MoU with Mastercard to boost digital payment services in Jordan
Zain signs MoU with Mastercard to boost digital payment services in Jordan — Mastercard — “Zain has been approved to issue Mastercard prepaid cards linked to the Zain Cash mobile wallet to provide subscribers with the advantage of obtaining and utilizing the card locally and globally through a network of more than 50 million points of sale… as well as the possibility of shopping online and using it on the ATM network.”
Square is rolling out its first debit card
Square is rolling out its first debit card — Recode — “The prepaid card isn’t linked to your bank account, but instead to the Square Cash app. That means you can only use it to spend money that you are holding in your Square Cash account.”
PayPal applies for mobile wallet licence in India?
PayPal has applied for a prepaid payment instrument (PPI) licence from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to enter the mobile wallet space in the country, according to the Economic Times... More
Apple to launch P2P payments and debit card this year?
Apple is working to launch a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service later this year, according to Recode... More
Samsung Pay launches in Sweden and the UAE, enters early access in Hong Kong and Switzerland
Samsung Pay has expanded to four additional markets with official launches in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and early access launches in Hong Kong and Switzerland. The service has also been made available on Samsung’s Gear S3 smartwatch in Russia, Sweden and the UAE in addition to its availability on the Gear S3 in the US, Singapore and Australia. More
Amazon gets approval for digital wallet in India
Amazon India has been granted a payment license by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate its own prepaid wallet in the country... More
Bank of Korea signs up retailers for coinless society trial
The Bank of Korea (BOK) has signed up retailers including CU, 7-Eleven, E-Mart, Lotte Mart and Lotte Department Store to begin trialling a service that will give customers change in the form of a top-up to a prepaid card... More
Safe mobile recharge service for women to roll out across India
PARTNER NEWS: A service to improve women’s safety, by allowing them to recharge their prepaid mobile account at any retail outlet with a private code generated by SMS rather than their phone number, will roll out across India later this month... More
Korean central bank to put small change on cards
The Bank of Korea (BOK) is to pilot a service that allows merchants to give customers change in the form of a top-up onto a prepaid card instead of coins... More
Huawei Pay NFC mobile payments rolled out across China public transport
PARTNER NEWS: Smartphone maker Huawei is to begin rolling out NFC mobile payments for public transport in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing through Huawei Pay, which launched in China in September 2016... More
Android Pay launches in Japan with prepaid card provider
Google has launched its Android Pay mobile payments platform in Japan in collaboration with prepaid card provider Rakuten Edy, allowing consumers to make payments with their compatible devices at more than 470,000 locations accepting Rakuten Edy eMoney... More
Samsung Pay begins Malaysia beta test
Samsung has begun a beta trial of Samsung Pay in Malaysia with Maybank... More
Canadian bank replaces NFC SIM-based service with HCE
Canada’s Scotiabank has replaced the NFC SIM-based mobile payments service inside its My Mobile Wallet app with a host card emulation (HCE) based solution, the bank has confirmed to NFC World... More