Latest News

Analysis: STMicroelectronics Seeks to Stay Competitive in Payments Wearables Market with Provisioning Partnership

Jan 14 2017

NFC Times Exclusive Insight Chip maker STMicroelectronics has been gearing up to make a play for the payments wearables market, an initiative punctuated by its announcement last week that it is working with Germany-based Giesecke & Devrient and payments wearables technology start-up FitPay to streamline provisioning of card credentials on its embedded chips.

Deutsche Telekom Casts Doubt on Future of NFC SIMs, as It Quietly Closes Wallet in Germany

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Deutsche Telekom, one of the most important backers of SIM-based NFC through the years, now questions whether the technology could ever become a standard, as it quietly withdrew its little-used SIM-based NFC mobile wallet from the German market last week after more than two years.

Top 10 Misses: Wallet Take-Up, Bank Recruitment, Payments Wearables Rollouts Led List of Disappointments in Past Year

Jan 5 2017

NFC Times Exclusive – The rollout of digital payments, including services using NFC technology, are undoubtedly making progress, especially compared with just a few years ago.

More Chinese Smartphone Makers Enable NFC Transit Ticketing

Jan 23 2018

NFC Times Exclusive – More Chinese OEMs have launched support for NFC transit ticketing, following earlier launches by Xiaomi and Huawei, NFC Times has learned, with at least five more device makers enabling service in one to two Chinese cities, or planning to do so.

Moscow Commuter Line Supports Open-Loop Fare Collection; Promotes Payments by Apple Pay

NFC Times Exclusive Insight - All stations on Moscow’s new commuter rail line, the Moscow Central Circle, or MCC, and some Moscow Metro stations linked with the new line, accept open-loop payments, including with Apple Pay, the Russian transit authority confirmed to NFC Times, adding that the authority is looking forward to accepting a range of other NFC-enabled wallets, including Samsung Pay.

Samsung Takes Two-Speed Approach to Launches of Samsung Pay

NFC Times Exclusive – In line with its October promise, Samsung has launched its mobile payments service in two additional markets, Malaysia and Thailand, bringing the number of markets to 12, counting Puerto Rico. Still, in some of the markets where Samsung Pay has launched, the device maker adopted a different rollout strategy, which it calls “early access.”

Huawei Enables More Cities for Transit Ticketing, as OEM Pay Providers Begin to Expand NFC Fare Collection Services

Dec 22 2016

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Huawei and NXP Semiconductors have announced that the Chinese smartphone maker has added three cities to its transit-ticketing service from its Huawei Pay wallet, as Chinese OEMs continue to lead in enabling NFC fare collection from their devices.

NFC Secure Element Shipments to Miss Vendor Forecasts; Trade Group Eurosmart Declines to Release Details

NFC Times Exclusive – NFC secure element shipments for 2016 will be lower than earlier forecasts by card and chip vendor trade association Eurosmart, although the group is not saying by how much.

How It Works: Android Pay Launches in Japan Without HCE, Backed by One Closed-Loop Payments Service

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Google is using an embedded secure element to enable users to tap to pay in its latest Android Pay market, Japan–the first time since launching Android Pay that the search giant is not using host card emulation to enable payments.

Taiwanese Telco Launches Wallet Supporting Both NFC and QR Codes, with HCE Coming

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Far EasTone, one of Taiwan’s three major telcos, officially launched its mobile wallet Tuesday, offering a range of services and technologies as it prepares to compete with the coming of the “Pays” wallets, including Apple Pay, which is expected to launch in Taiwan in the first quarter.

Wirecard Sees Insuring In-Store Purchases as ‘Innovative’ Feature for Boon Payments App, but Will It Help App Stand Out in the Crowd?

Dec 19 2016

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Germany-based white-label payments software and prepaid payments services provider Wirecard hopes to make its mobile payments app boon more attractive to German users by giving them the option of insuring their in-store purchases.

Apple Pay Chief: Ensuring Consistent User Experience Prompted Apple to Lock NFC Chip, Shun QR Codes

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – In case anyone is still wondering, Apple didn’t launch Apple Pay for the transaction fees it earns from banks, even if the iPhone maker still doesn’t publicly acknowledge it charges the fees to begin with.

Sony Pay? Sony Mobile Unlikely to Join ‘OEM Pay’ Club; Looking Instead to Local Deals to Enable Mobile Payments

NFC Times Exclusive – Sony Mobile has no plans to introduce its own payments service, choosing instead to work with local mobile payments service providers market by market, NFC Times has learned.

Scotiabank Updates Mobile Payments Service to HCE and Plans American Express and Mastercard Support for New Year

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – By switching from NFC SIM-based to host card emulation mobile payments service at the end of November, one of Canada's top five banks, Scotiabank, is hoping to “build adoption” at a “higher magnitude” for its My Mobile Wallet service, a bank spokeswoman told NFC Times.

Google Adds Another Small Market with Launch of Android Pay in Ireland

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Google has expanded Android Pay to yet another small international market, with the launch in Ireland today, with participation from one of the four biggest Irish banks, along with networks Visa and Mastercard.

Square Introduces Square Cash for In-Store Purchases With Apple Pay, as Expected

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Square CEO Jack Dorsey announced Tuesday that the payments company is making its Square Cash service available for in-store payments with Apple Pay. NFC Times was first to report the planned move Nov. 1.

Android Pay Launches in New Zealand with Participation from Only One Bank

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Just a couple weeks after launching its mobile payments service in Poland, Google has expanded to another market, New Zealand–and as in Poland, Android Pay is backed there by only one major bank at launch, Bank of New Zealand.

American Express Launches Amex Pay in the UK, in Addition to Canada

NFC Times Exclusive – American Express has quietly launched its HCE-enabled mobile payments service in the UK, along with its launch in Canada, which it announced Wednesday, NFC Times has learned.

Apple Pay Launches in Spain with Support from Santander, Mastercard and American Express

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Apple has continued to expand its NFC payments service, today launching Apple Pay in Spain, with participation from one of the country’s biggest banks, Banco Santander, and two payments networks, Mastercard and American Express.

Australian Antitrust Regulators Reject Big Banks’ Request for Collective Negotiations With Apple

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – In a draft decision, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has denied a request from four major banks for permission to negotiate collectively with Apple and boycott participation in Apple Pay during the discussions, with regulators expressing concern that such a position “could reduce or distort competition in a number of markets.”

ABN AMRO Launches HCE Wallet Commercially Following Pilot; Manager: Testing Vital to Ensure NFC Phones Work with POS Terminals

NFC Times Exclusive - AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands: ABN AMRO is the third and last of the Netherlands’ big three banks to launch its own mobile wallet, launching service today for its Maestro debit cardholders, the bank confirmed to NFC Times.

Exclusive: Two More Polish Banks Prepare to Launch HCE Payments

Nov 24 2016

NFC Times Exclusive – Two more Polish banks plan to launch mobile payments using host card emulation technology, NFC Times has learned, adding to a growing list of mobile payments services in Poland, which saw the launch of its first “Pays” service last week with the introduction of Android Pay.

Android Pay Launches in Contactless Hot Spot Poland, but Cards from Only One Major Bank Available to Start

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Google has expanded its mobile payments service into a sixth market, Poland, targeting the country’s high penetration of contactless point-of-sale terminals. In-app payments will follow, according to the search giant.

Long-Struggling OTI Makes Progress Toward Achieving Profitability; Still Refuses to Give Guidance

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – After years of effort, Israel-based contactless reader and NFC vendor On Track Innovations achieved a rare quarterly operating profit from continuing operations, thanks to cost cutting and a high gross margin, helped by a onetime licensing fee. But it still showed a net loss and the cost reductions may have bottomed out.

Citigroup Announces Citi Pay HCE App as Expected; Launch in U.S. Delayed until Early Next Year

NFC Times Exclusive Insight – As NFC Times reported a month ago, U.S.-based Citigroup is the latest bank with plans to launch an HCE-enabled mobile wallet for Android phones, “Citi Pay,” which will launch in Asia-Pacific first then in the U.S., using Masterpass technology.

Deals

California Issues Notice of Intent to Award Contracts to Vendors for Planned Statewide Open-Loop Payments Rollout

California state officials have released a list of seven bidders it intends to award contracts to for the supply of core technology for the state’s ambitious plan to help more than 300 transit agencies roll out open-loop fare payments statewide.

Moscow to Test Mobility-as-a-Service Platform that will Include Use of Contactless Payments

The Moscow Department of Transport has announced it is launching a test of its planned “MultiTransport” mobility-as-a-service platform, which will enable users to plan and pay for rides on the Moscow Metro and other public transit, along with taxis. The city said it is planning to add other transport modes, including car-share and bike and scooter rental.

Vietnam Bus Operator Launches Contactless Open-Loop Payments in Small Rollout; Backers Hope Other Transport Modes Will Follow

A commercial bus company serving Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, has launched contactless open-loop payments on board its new electronic buses, and reports say officials and bankers would like to see contactless EMV payments expanded to other modes of transport.

Moscow Metro Sees Modest Take-Up in Use of Face Pay So Far; Repeats Prediction that Up to 15% of Regular Riders Will Use Service

Moscow Metro has 45,000 users for its Face Pay service since launching its rollout of facial recognition fare-payments in mid-October, the transit agency said today, in releasing more details about how the service works.

Updated: U.S. Transit Agency Seeks to Reduce–Though Not Eliminate–Cash Acceptance with New Fare-Collection System

Updated: The Spokane Transit Authority in Washington state confirmed that its new fare-collection system will include contactless open-loop payments–with a beta test planned for next October, a spokesman told NFC Times' sister publication Mobility Payments.

Australian Transit Agency to Launch Mobility-as-a-Service Trial as It Pursues Long-Term MaaS Strategy

Plans by Transport for New South Wales, Australia’s largest transit agency, to launch a trial enabling users to plan, book and pay for multimodal rides is the next step toward the agency’s long-ter

UK Government Seeks to Bring London-Style Contactless Fare Payments System to Other Regions

The UK government’s plan to equip 700 rail stations over the next three years to accept contactless open-loop payments is a major initiative, as it seeks to replicate the success of London’s contactless pay-as-you go fare payments system elsewhere in the country–a goal that has proved elusive in the past.

More Cities in Finland Expected to Move to Open-Loop Fare Payments

A fourth city in Finland is beginning to roll out contactless open-loop payments, with “more in the pipeline,” according to one supplier on the project, making the Nordic country one of the latest hotspots for the technology.

Moscow Metro Expands Test of ‘Virtual Troika’ in Pays Wallets, as It Continues to Develop Digital-Payments Services

Moscow Metro is recruiting more users to test its “Virtual Troika” card in two NFC wallets, those supporting Google Pay and Samsung Pay, as one of the world’s largest subway operators continues to seek more ways for its customers to pay for rides.

Ohio Transit Agency Expects Significant Revenue Loss as it Builds Equity with Fare Capping

The Central Ohio Transit Authority, or COTA, officially launched its new digital-payments service Monday, including a fare-capping feature that the agency estimates will cost it $1.8 million per year in lost fare revenue, the agency confirmed to Mobility Payments.

Features

Panel: Closed-Loop Payments Expected to Remain an Option for Years to Come Despite Growth of Open Loop

By: 
Dan Balaban

While the trend today is for more transit agencies to introduce open-loop fare payments, closed-loop cards, either in physical form or dematerialized on smartphones and wearables, will be with us for many years to come–though perhaps in a reduced role. That’s according to a recent panel discussion at the Mobility Payments Asia Pacific 2021 conference.

Cubic’s MaaS Point Man: Control of MaaS Apps by VC-Funded Start-Ups Coming to an End; Whim App Chief: Not So Fast

By: 
Dan Balaban

Andy Taylor, senior director, global strategy for Cubic Transportation Systems contended that the MaaS market is at a crossroads and could fail if it doesn’t change course, including putting cities and public agencies firmly in the “driving seat” of MaaS apps.

In-Depth: As Covid-19 Causes Transit Ridership to Plummet, Third-Party Mobile-Ticketing Vendors Hope to Help Bring Riders Back

By: 
Dan Balaban

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – As the Covid-19 crisis sows fear among mass transit customers and causes ridership on buses, trains and trams to crash, there is heightened interest in mobile ticketing and other electronic fare payments as a way to ease the concerns and help coax wary riders to return.  

Analysis: Apple Chips Away at Fortress Europe with Another Major Bank Planning to Join Apple Pay

By: 
Dan Balaban

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – With Switzerland’s No. 2 bank, Credit Suisse, expected to participate in Apple Pay, the U.S.-based tech giant continues to chip away at resistance among major European banks to joining its digital payments service.

U.S. Football Sees NFC-Enabled E-Tickets as way to Cut Fraud, Market to Fans

By: 
K.N. Smith

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – With the National Football League kicking off its season in a few weeks in the U.S., fans will be using NFC, QR codes and perhaps ultrasonic signals on their mobile devices, in addition to tapping contactless-enabled paper tickets, to attend football games and other events at all 31 NFL stadiums.

In-Depth: As U.S. Lags in Contactless Payments, are Issuers Ready to Roll Out Dual-Interface EMV Cards?

By: 
K.N. Smith

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Most issuers in the U.S. have so far held back from rolling out contactless or dual-interface cards, but merchant acceptance has been quietly building over the past few years, despite some large U.S. retailers balking at accepting contactless cards and NFC-enabled devices.

In-Depth: Can Contactless Cards Succeed in U.S. Where NFC Mobile Wallets Have Failed?

By: 
K.N. Smith

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Payments industry backers suggest that U.S. banks could have an incentive to begin contactless rollouts soon, but in the absence of deadlines from the major payments networks, which are rapidly approaching in other markets, there's no guarantee of rollouts in the U.S. on the horizon.

How Mobile Wallets, Payments Wearables, Tokenization Fared the Past Year, and Where They Stand Now

By: 
Dan Balaban

NFC TIMES Exclusive – As the digital payments ecosystem moves into 2018, it is dealing with many of the same unfulfilled promises, works in progress and unfinished business as in 2017.

U.S. Merchant Apps Square Off Against NFC ‘Pays’ Wallets: The Retailer Perspective

By: 
K.N. Smith

NFC TIMES Exclusive – As more U.S. merchants launch their own payments apps, some seem positioned to offer serious competition to Apple Pay and the other NFC “Pays” wallets.

Backers Look to Range of Devices for Contextual Commerce, Though Fragmentation Will Pose Challenges

By: 
K.N. Smith

NFC TIMES Exclusive Insight – Promoters of contextual commerce are looking to a range of connected devices, including smart appliances and such home hubs as Alexa–along with a host of mobile devices–to enable consumers to pay in almost every context. But many challenges remain for what could become a “very disjointed” array of payment options, experts say.