Latest News

Oberthur Gets Telco Group TSM Contract but Loses Key French Bank

France-based Oberthur Technologies has won a key contract to serve as trusted service manager for France Telecom-Orange group, but lost a TSM contract with big French bank BNP Paribas, NFC Times has learned.

Google Puts Wallet Phone on Sale Directly to U.S. Consumers

Apr 25 2012

Google has put an unlocked version of its Galaxy Nexus Android phone on sale for GSM networks in the United States, which would open up the Google Wallet to customers of AT&T and T-Mobile.

Inside Sees Fall in First Quarter Sales, Share Price

NFC and contactless chip supplier Inside Secure reported revenue fell by 12% during the first quarter to just over $34 million, with its ID and banking chip units accounting for the declines.

Barclaycard Seeks More M-Payment Users with Stickers Despite Its NFC Project

Despite the coming availability of more NFC phones from its partner Orange and the opening up of its prepaid mobile-payment application to funding from other issuers, UK-based Barclaycard has decided it needs more exposure for its contactless m-payment service.

Big UK Merchant Asda to Trial Contactless Payment

Large UK retailer Asda will pilot contactless payment starting in July at 25 of its stores, Visa Europe announced today.
The chain, a subsidiary of giant U.S.-based retailer Wal-Mart Stores, has only agreed to trial the technology, not to roll it out to its 500 stores in the United Kingdom. Most of the chain’s stores are supercenters or hypermarkets.
At present, there are 105,000 contactless terminals in place in the UK, most at small shops, Visa told NFC Times. The highest profile UK merchant so far rolling out contactless acceptance is McDonald’s, which agreed last year to equip all of its 1,200 locations in the country.
But other big merchants, including Starbucks and Tesco, the latter the largest retailer in the UK, are holding back from nationwide deployments.
This summer, however, Transport for London promises to become the biggest “merchant” to date accepting contactless credit and debit cards, when it launches open-loop fare collection on its 8,500 London buses.
The transport authority has vowed to be ready to accept the contactless bank cards on the buses in time for the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 
There are about 20 million contactless bank cards in circulation in the UK today, most support Visa payWave or MasterCard PayPass. Foreign open-loop credit and debit cards will also work on the buses. And it’s possible the buses could accept payment from NFC phones if the payment applications are not prepaid, which requires different authentication.
Supercenter retailer Asda has agreed to trial contactless payment in the UK at 25 stories this summer, though the major merchant has not committed to a national rollout at its 500 stores.

Large UK retailer Asda will pilot contactless payment starting in July at 25 of its stores, Visa Europe announced today.

Austrian Telco to Launch Own NFC Payment Brand, Shunning payWave and PayPass

Austria’s largest mobile operator, A1, has announced plans to roll out NFC payment using its own payment scheme.

Brazilian Company Launches NFC P2P Payments with Nokia App

Brazilian online payments company PagSeguro along with Nokia has launched an NFC peer-to-peer payment service enabling users to pay small merchants and transfer money to friends using Nokia smartphones.

Doubts Raised for Proposed NFC JVs in Europe as Regulators Probe UK’s Project Oscar

Apr 17 2012

A decision by the European Commission to launch an in-depth investigation into the proposed NFC m-commerce joint venture by the United Kingdom’s three largest mobile operators could create delays in NFC rollouts in the UK and problems in other European countries, where telcos are planning similar joint ventures.

Inside Gets Contract for Nokia’s First NFC Windows Phone; Microsoft to Weigh in Later

Apr 16 2012

MONACO – Inside Secure is expected to announce as early as Friday that Nokia has selected it as NFC chip supplier for the handset maker’s first NFC-enabled Windows Phone, to be introduced in the third quarter.

Nokia to Introduce First NFC-Enabled Windows Phone in Q3, Ahead of Most Predictions

MONACO – Nokia, in a surprise move, announced it will introduce its first NFC-enabled Windows Phone device in the third quarter, offering an NFC version of its low-cost Lumia 610.

GlobalPlatform Discussions with NFC Forum to Focus on Security as Part of MOU

Standards organizations GlobalPlatform and the NFC Forum will focus on security issues as part of their recently announced memo of understanding, especially to ensure apps on NFC phones don’t compromise the security of secure elements in the devices.

UAE ID Agency and Telco Consider Putting National ID Application on NFC Phones

United Arab Emirates telco Etisalat and the government’s ID agency, Emirates Identity Authority, have signed a memo of understanding to study the idea of putting UAE’s national ID card application onto NFC phones.

NFC Forum Seeks Wider Use of N-Mark Touchpoint Symbol

The NFC Forum has relaxed its rules for device makers to display its N-Mark symbol on their products and also is allowing software providers to show the mark, as it seeks to broaden use of the touchpoint symbol on consumer products.

Product Safety and Testing Company UL Buys Consultant for Isis, Project Oscar

U.S.-based global product safety and testing company UL has acquired Netherlands-based NFC and smart card consulting and test tools firm Collis, which has worked with NFC joint ventures that have formed or are planned in the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Sprint Announces Availability Date for Second Google Wallet Phone

Google will have a second NFC phone officially supporting its Google Wallet when Sprint launches the LG Viper 4G LTE Android handset later this month.

Rival Smart Card Companies Plan JV to Jump-Start ARM 'TrustZone' Products

Smart card companies Gemalto and Giesecke & Devrient have each been working for years on products that can secure content, software and PIN codes directly on smartphones and other devices, but have little revenue to show for it.

Google Wallet Co-Founding Engineer Departs Google for Square

Apr 3 2012

Google Wallet co-founding engineer Rob von Behren has left Google for payments startup Square, following former colleague Jonathan Wall in departing the Web giant.

Inside Secure Seeks to Broaden Customer Base, but Pins 2012 Profit Hopes on RIM

Despite efforts to diversify its customer base for its NFC chips, France-based Inside Secure will rely on sales to BlackBerry maker Research In Motion for the bulk of its revenue in 2012 and for its goal to become profitable by the end of the year.

London Hackathon Designed to Bring NFC Apps Closer to Market Launch

Organizers of a recent NFC hackathon in London gave “kick-starter” funds to two teams of app developers and handed out other awards, all in an effort to bring the apps closer to a market launch.

MIT to Launch 'NFC App Inventor' to Ease Development of Apps for Android

Mar 28 2012

While the number of NFC apps available in Google’s app store has grown substantially over the past several months, it isn’t easy for nonapp developers to create services for the expanding number of Android NFC phone models.

Vivotech Announces New Funding Round as it Seeks to Capitalize on M-Commerce Buzz

Contactless reader and NFC software vendor Vivotech announced today a new funding round, which it said brings the amount of its total venture capital financing to nearly $100 million over more than 10 years.

Malaysian Telco Maxis to Launch NFC Payment with iPhone Sleeve

Malaysian mobile operator Maxis plans to introduce the NFC-enabled iPhone attachment iCarte to offer contactless payment with the country’s Touch ‘n Go service.

Photo Kiosks to Get Instant Bluetooth Pairing with NFC Tags

Consumers will be able to tap their NFC-enabled smartphones on photo kiosks in the United Kingdom to print their digital photos, without having to insert flash memory cards or manually scan for a Bluetooth connection.

Orange Makes Major New NFC Phone Commitment; Seeks to Seed Market

Seeking to encourage service providers to introduce NFC applications, France Telecom-Orange group said it plans to roll out 3 million SIM-based NFC phones this year and 10 million in 2013.

Google Staff Departures Reveal Internal Rift over Wallet Program

The departure of two key former Google Wallet staffers from the company to start their own mobile-commerce venture is throwing a spotlight on what have been internal disagreements at the Web giant over strategy for the NFC-based wallet.

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.