Latest News

New Apple NFC Patent Gives the iPhone a Key Role in Device Sharing

The iPhone would serve as the “resource-sharing” hub for a variety of devices, from home computers to game consoles to TV set-top boxes to presumably also the new iPad–using Near Field Communication and other wireless technologies, according to a new patent application filed by Apple Inc.

Citi To Make Its First Move into Mobile Payment

U.S.-based Citigroup will announce later this month the launch of contactless payment stickers in the United States, part of a possible national rollout, NFC Times has learned.

China Mobile Branch Plans SIM-Based City Card–Likely Without RF-SIMs

Apr 3 2010

A branch of Chinese telco China Mobile has signed an agreement to introduce a contactless SIM-based city card that includes a payment feature, but not apparently using RF-SIM technology, in the provincial capital city of Hangzhou in June.

EasyCard Corp. Assures the Security of e-Wallets

A top executive of EasyCard Corp. assured the public about the safety and security of the more than 18.2 million EasyCards that will have an upgraded function as electronic-wallets for shopping at designated retailing outlets (in Taipei, Taiwan) beginning April 1. (The China Post) 

Starbucks Expands Mobile-Payment Service Using Bar Codes

Apr 2 2010

Large coffee shop chain Starbucks has announced it is expanding its iPhone mobile-payment service, enabling consumers to pay for their caffè lattes or caramel macchiatos by flashing a 2-D bar code on their phone screens.

MasterCard to introduce contactless cards in the Czech Republic

Customers in the Czech Republic will for the first time be able to make contactless payments using the MasterCard PayPass technology at selected shops this year, daily Právo reported, referring to Brian Lang, chief executive of company MasterCard Europe for the Czech Republic and Slovakia. (Czech Business Weekly)

Indonesia’s Largest Mobile Operator to Trial Payment Service

Apr 1 2010

Another big mobile operator is considering launching its own payment scheme at the retail point of sale using contactless technology–with Indonesia’s largest mobile telco, Telkomsel, planning to hold a trial in May, NFC Times has learned.

Alcatel-Lucent Pushes Mobile Wallets

A dozen years have passed since the first person famously bought a Coke from a specially adapted vending machine in Scandinavia using a mobile phone. But in the intervening time, the anticipated mass market adoption of such “mobile wallet” services hasn’t happened (BusinessWeek).

Getting TSMs to Speak a Common Language

When NFC services finally begin to roll out, many in the industry are concerned there will be a breakdown in communication between mobile operators and banks and other service providers.

SK Telecom Launches ‘Next-Generation’ Payment Service

SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile operator, has announced it is launching its T Smart Pay service, what it calls a “next-generation” payment service.

Report: Contactless microSD Cards are Here to Stay

Contactless MicroSD cards that will turn ordinary mobile phones into contactless payment and ticketing devices will likely serve as more than just a bridge to NFC phones.

Visa Names New Global Head of Product

Visa Inc. has promoted the head of its North American bank sales unit and a former IBM employee to global head of product, the top executive post overseeing innovation, including NFC and contactless payment, among many other duties.

Gartner Takes a Swipe at Citi Mobile Trial Data

Gartner analyst Kristin Moyer has taken issue with recent reports praising Citi's "Tap and Pay" mobile payments trial in India, arguing that the data released fails to back up claims made by the bank and researchers over the success of the program.

Korean Telcos Plan NFC Commercial Launches in 2010

Mar 18 2010

UPDATE: South Korean mobile operators KT and SK Telecom plan to commercially launch NFC by the second half of this year, rolling out NFC phones and, at least for KT, high-capacity SIM cards to subscribers to carry retail payment, transit-fare collection, and banking and loyalty applications, NFC Times has learned.

China Mobile Pulls Back from Its Aggressive RF-SIM Push

SHANGHAI - China Mobile is easing off its drive to roll out its own mobile-payment scheme and other services using contactless SIM cards known as RF-SIMs, NFC Times has learned.

First Data Announces Contactless microSD Card Offer

Consumers could be tapping their mobile phones to make purchases with contactless microSD cards storing payment applications before the end of the year, said U.S.-based processor First Data, which announced today it would make the cards available with its technology vendor Tyfone.

Sony Faces an Uncertain Market for Its FeliCa Technology

TOKYO - As usual, Sony was showing an impressive array of uses for its FeliCa contactless technology at the annual IC Card World exhibition this past week in Tokyo.

Banking Group Spells Out Options to SIMs for Mobile Payment

Bankers who thought they would have to put their applications onto SIM cards in NFC phones to offer mobile-contactless payment should think again, according to the Mobey Forum, a bank-led association that has issued a report describing four alternatives to the SIM for supporting payment applications in phones.

NFC Forum Adds a Telco and Chip Maker to Its Ranks

The NFC Forum trade and standards group today announced several new members, including one of Canada’s largest mobile operators, Rogers Communications, and a chip maker for smartphones, Marvell Technology Group, as voting members.

Visa’s Global Product Head to Take Up Post in Asia

Mar 9 2010

(UPDATE: Visa Inc. on Monday announced global head of product Elizabeth Buse has been named group executive for the Asia-Pacific and CEMEA regions, replacing Rupert Keeley, who is leaving the company. It confirms the NFC Times story below, published over the weekend.)

Citibank to Expand Mobile 'Contactless' Payments Program

After a pilot in Bangalore, Citibank is planning to expand its mobile payments program, using mobile phones with NFC (Near Field Communication), to other cities in India and around the world, a company executive said on Wednesday (IDG News Service).

UK Increases Purchase Limit for Contactless Transactions

The UK has increased the amount at which consumers merely need to tap to pay without entering a PIN code from £10 (US$15.08) to £15 (US$22.63).

Canadian Telcos Launch Contactless-Payment Trial

Canada’s big three mobile operators took another small step in advancing their Zoompass mobile-payment service today by announcing a contactless-sticker trial. But a representative of the telcos’ joint venture stressed that they are not after the payments business of the country’s big five banks.

U.S. Banks and Telcos are Keen for the Arrival of MicroSDs

Two makers of newly developed contactless microSD cards are moving their products toward market trials, as their big U.S. payments patrons–Visa Inc. and First Data Corp.–seek to capitalize on growing demand from banks, as well as from mobile operators.

Maker of Rugged Phones Plans NFC Model

The maker of rugged mobile phones for plumbers, builders, rescue crews and other workers often dealing with adverse conditions is planning to introduce an NFC model by the second quarter, NFC Times has learned.

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.