French NFC trade association AFSCM has partnered with three major mobile network operators to roll out SIM-based NFC services in France. The association is working with Oberthur Technologies (OT) to build a common hub with Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR which will enable a “massive launch of NFC services” in the country. More
ING and Belgian bank KBC are to launch a mobile payment and loyalty platform in Belgium that will combine ING’s Payconiq mobile payment app with loyalty platforms Qustomer and CityLife in a single service. More
A 29-page white paper that explores the payment industry of Bangladesh and includes a detailed examination of its current systems, the evolution of alternative payment methods and the uptake of NFC, tokenization and EMV is now available to download from the NFC World+ Knowledge Centre. More
Passengers on New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) can now pay for tickets and have them validated on their smartphone... More
More than 25% of US smartphone owners make use of mobile payment apps at least once a month, research from Parks Associates reveals... More
The Bluetooth-based mobile keyless entry solution unveiled by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in November 2014 has been extended to select Le Méridien, Westin, Sheraton and Four Points hotels, with “many additional properties” expected to go live with SPG Keyless over the coming months... More
Owners of a handbag from Maria&Donato’s exclusive collection will soon be able to authenticate their purchase as well as discover information about the brand and buy limited-edition handbags online with a tap of their NFC device. More
Customers of Vodafone Italia can now make NFC mobile payments through PayPal using the mobile network operator’s Vodafone Wallet. The service will allow for in-store payments at any Visa contactless terminal across the country. More
PARTNER NEWS: The Geantet-Pansiot vineyard estate in Burgundy, France is to equip all of its wine bottles with an NFC tag to let its customers authenticate the beverage and receive information about the wine directly on their smartphone. More
Customers of ASB Bank in New Zealand can now make host card emulation (HCE) based mobile payments using ASB Virtual, a new feature in the bank’s mobile banking app that enables payments using a Visa credit or debit card... More
Samsung Pay has launched in Australia with support from American Express and Citibank. The service is available for those with compatible Samsung smartphones, with specific availability varying by local operator. More
UK fashion retailer Topshop has launched the second collection of Topshop x bPay, a range of accessories that incorporate Barclaycard’s bPay contactless payment technology and enable shoppers to make tap and go payments at contactless terminals. More
The number of Chinese consumers making in-store mobile payments more than doubled last year and almost half of all smartphone users in the country will be making proximity mobile payments by 2020, according to research released by eMarketer... More
Chinese internet giant Tencent is working to roll out its WeChat Pay mobile payment service to 10,000 Japanese stores by the end of 2016... More
Customers of Erste Bank und Sparkassen in Austria will now be able to make NFC payments using a wristband, sticker or mobile app launched by the bank. All three payment methods are available countrywide and can also be used to make withdrawals at the first NFC-enabled Erste Bank ATM in Vienna. More
Owners of Mobvoi’s Ticwatch will soon be able to make NFC payments at contactless terminals across China as the result of a partnership between the smartwatch maker, China UnionPay (CUP) and Oberthur Technologies (OT). More
Samsung Pay has begun rolling out across Spain, making it the first European market where the mobile payment service is available. The service has launched with support from CaixaBank and ImaginBank and will also be available for customers of Abanca and Banco Sabadell “soon”. More
UK consumers can now pay for food and drinks at sports and entertainment venues serviced by IT solutions provider Verteda and charge their purchases to their mobile phone bill. The company has integrated the service into its Qjacker mobile payments app through direct carrier billing provider Boku. More
The Samsung Pay Mini online payments app expected to go live in South Korea this month will be compatible with Apple devices as well as Android smartphones, according to ETNews... More
More than a quarter of US consumers (27%) with an eligible smartphone have used Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay, according to research released by Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG)... More