Total card purchase volume worldwide reached US$42.7tn in 2022 with global credit card volumes increasing by 7% and prepaid card volumes by 9%, according to research from RBR... More
Retail
China rolls out regional digital yuan giveaways to drive contactless cash adoption
Regions across China have launched a series of digital yuan voucher giveaways to drive adoption of the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) and encourage consumer spending using the digital currency during the Asian Games and the Mid-Autumn and National Day festivals... More
Google lets Pixel 8 users authorise NFC payments with their face
Purchasers of Google’s new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones will be able to make NFC payments using Google Wallet and access other compatible banking and payments apps with their face. ... More
Apple Wallet adds support for open banking APIs
Apple iPhone users in the UK can now check their current account balance, the remaining credit on their credit card and their debit and credit card transaction history directly in Apple Wallet... More
Amazon adds support for RFID tags to its Just Walk Out contactless store technology
Amazon is using RFID tags attached to individual product items to expand the range of outlets that can make use of its Just Walk Out technology to include clothing retailers and other non-food stores... More
China lets foreign visitors use credit cards to fund a central bank digital currency wallet
Tourists and other foreigners visiting China can now upload digital yuan to the country’s prototype central bank digital currency (CBDC) digital wallet using their Mastercard or Visa credit card... More
Apple goes live with Tap to Pay on iPhone in Brazil
Merchants in Brazil can now accept contactless payments on their iPhone with no other hardware required, Apple has announced... More
National Payments Corporation of India launches NFC-enabled QR codes and contactless voice payments on UPI
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has unveiled a suite of United Payments Interface (UPI) services that includes UPI Tap & Pay NFC-enabled QR codes, QR code-enabled ATM withdrawals, the addition of support for offline NFC payments to the UPI Lite X digital wallet, and Hello... More
US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports on Big Tech’s role in contactless payments
The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a report that highlights how Apple and Google’s role in enabling NFC contactless mobile payments impacts the US contactless payments market... More
Interac reports surge in contactless in-store mobile transactions in Canada
Transaction volumes for contactless in-store mobile payments made using an Interac debit card stored on a consumer’s smartphone have increased by 53% between August 2022 and July 2023, the Canadian domestic debit card network provider has revealed... More
Google Wallet goes live in Colombia
Google Wallet has launched in Colombia, enabling users to store and use their credit and debit cards, boarding passes, tickets and other digital credentials on their Android NFC smartphone, Wear OS smartwatch or Fitbit device... More
Brazil’s central bank lays out reasons for developing CBDC
The central bank digital currency (CBDC) that Brazil’s central bank is to pilot for retail payments in stores is to be called Drex and will be “a step forward in democratizing access for individuals and entrepreneurs to the benefits of the digitalization of the economy”, the Banco Central do Brasil (BCB) has announced... More
Apple Tap to Pay on iPhone goes live in the Netherlands
Merchants in the Netherlands can now use their Apple iPhone to accept contactless payments without needing any additional hardware... More
Central bank to add support for NFC to India’s UPI Lite digital wallet service
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is to add support for NFC payments to the country’s UPI Lite digital wallet, enabling users to conduct transactions on their smartphone even when there is no internet or mobile connection... More
California pilots mobile driving licence and ID card for airport identity checks and age verification
Residents of the US state of California can now generate and store a digital version of their driving licence or state ID card on their Apple or Android smartphone and use it to verify their identity at selected Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport security checkpoints and confirm their age when making age-restricted purchases in selected stores... More
QR code payments to top 90bn in SE Asia by 2028
The total number of QR code payments made in SE Asia will reach 90bn by 2028, up from a total QR code transaction volume in the region of 13bn in 2023, according to a forecast by Juniper Research... More
More than 93% of card present payments worldwide were made using EMV chip cards in 2022
Just over 93% of card present transactions worldwide were made using EMV chip-enabled payment cards during 2022, up from 90.44% in 2021 and 88.55% in 2020, according to standards body EMVCo... More
Arkansas pizza restaurant serves up contactless bracelet that lets customers pour their own drinks
Customers at a Smokin’ Oak Wood Pizza outlet in Fayetteville in the US state of Arkansas can now pour their own drinks from digitally controlled taps in a self-serve taproom using a contactless bracelet... More
Chinese mobile payment giants add support for credit cards issued overseas
Visitors to China can now link their international credit cards, including cards issued by Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Discover, to an Alipay or WeChat Pay digital wallet and use them to make payments for goods and services at merchants across the country... More
One in five Brits now prefer using their mobile phone to make payments in stores
One in five UK consumers (20%) prefers using mobile payment services such as Apple Pay over cash (17%) or chip & PIN card payments (10%) for in-store purchases, a survey has revealed... More