Latest News

Without Own Payment Service, Isis Recasts Itself as ‘Delivery Engine’

The Isis joint venture has revealed more details of the new business model for its planned NFC rollouts, following its decision to abandon plans to launch its own payment network at the retail point of sale.

Citi and MasterCard to Launch NFC Payment on Google’s Nexus S

Citigroup and MasterCard Worldwide will soon announce an NFC mobile-payment service in the United States with Google–with plans calling for Citi to issue a prepaid MasterCard PayPass application to be loaded onto Google’s Nexus S and perhaps other Android phones, NFC Times has learned.

O2 UK Announces Financial Services Partners for NFC Launch

Telefónica O2 UK today announced some of the companies it will work with to bring its O2 Money prepaid service and mobile wallet to market on NFC phones and contactless cards this year.

Major New Bank Joins UK Contactless and NFC Landscape

Lloyds Banking Group, which bills itself as the United Kingdom’s largest retail bank, is beginning to make its move into contactless and NFC payment.

Inside Secure Announces Plans to Go Public

May 17 2011

France-based NFC chip supplier Inside Secure took its first official step toward an initial public offering, filing registration papers with French regulators for its planned listing on the NYSE Euronext exchange in Paris later this year.

MasterCard to Trial iPhone NFC Attachment in Asia

MasterCard Worldwide plans to trial an NFC-enabled iPhone attachment in Asia soon, the card network confirmed to NFC Times.

Android Bug Creates Problems for Developers of NFC Texting Apps

Google’s Android operating system has a bug that creates headaches for application developers wanting to enable users to send SMS messages after tapping NFC tags.

Taiwanese Telcos Meet for Talks on NFC Collaboration

Five Taiwanese mobile operators and the country’s largest contactless payment provider met Friday for talks to consider forming an alliance or joint venture to help them roll out NFC on the island nation, sources told NFC Times.

Research Firm Increases NFC Phone Forecast on Heels of Isis Shift

The decision by U.S. mobile carriers to agree to work with established payment networks for their NFC rollouts and give up plans for their own Isis brand payment scheme will boost the market for NFC phones through 2015, when nearly 550 million phones are forecasted to be shipped, market research firm IHS iSuppli said today.

Card Emulation Expected Soon Despite Doubts from Google Engineers

May 17 2011

Google NFC software engineers, while touting the “dozens” of NFC phones in the pipeline and prospects for compelling applications using tag reading and peer-to-peer communication, downplayed use of Android phones for payment with secure chips.

Intuit Develops NFC App for M-Payment Service on Android Phones

U.S.-based Intuit is demonstrating an NFC mobile-payment application for Android NFC phones that it says could enable small merchants to accept credit card payments with a tap of their phones on the NFC phones of customers.

Inside Secure Reportedly Hires Banks for Planned IPO

France-based NFC chip supplier Inside Secure has reportedly hired two investment banks to help it prepare for an initial public offering.

Foursquare to Test NFC at Google Developer Conference

Location-based social networking site foursquare announced today it would test NFC-based check-ins at Google’s I/O 2011 developer conference in San Francisco, which kicks off Tuesday with thousands of developers expected.

Turkey’s Largest Telco Launches NFC, Mainly with Bridge Tech

May 13 2011

Turkey’s largest mobile operator, Turkcell, has announced its long-promised commercial launch of NFC services, though it apparently has only one full NFC phone available so far.

LG Electronics to Introduce NFC Feature Phone

LG Electronics is readying the release of a 2G feature phone supporting Near Field Communication, which might be the handset maker’s first commercial NFC model.

NXP CEO: Google Has High Hopes for Android NFC Shipments

NFC phone shipments could approach 100 million units this year if Google’s rosy projections for Android NFC smartphone shipments come to pass, NXP Semiconductors CEO Richard Clemmer said during a conference call following release of the chip maker’s first quarter results.

Isis Ends Plans to Launch Its Own Retail Payment Network

The Isis joint venture has confirmed it is abandoning plans to launch its own payment network and will instead work with Visa Inc., MasterCard Worldwide and other established payment brands for its NFC rollouts.

RIM Announces First NFC-Enabled BlackBerrys

Research in Motion, as expected, has announced its first two NFC-enabled BlackBerrys, as it kicks off its BlackBerry World conference scheduled for this week in Orlando, Fla.

Analyst: Apple Unlikely to Support NFC in Next iPhone

Semiconductor suppliers will ship a forecasted 70 million NFC chips to phone manufacturers this year to incorporate in their handsets, but Apple will not be one of those device makers, believes UK-based research firm IMS Research.

Most NFC Phones to Pack Embedded Chips

Apr 29 2011

The majority of NFC phones will come with embedded secure chips that can store applications, say research analysts–projections that will not come as welcome news to many mobile operators.

French Telcos Eager to Put More NFC Phones on Sale

French mobile operators expect to have up to 10 NFC phone models on sale by the end of the year, but may have trouble meeting their goal of selling 1 million of the phones in 2011.

Korean Telco to Introduce Galaxy S II for NFC

South Korean mobile operator KT Corp. is introducing the Samsung Galaxy S II for NFC payment and other services, a source at KT confirmed to NFC Times.

Czech Republic Plans Contactless and NFC Rollouts

Banks in the Czech Republic are planning to begin rollouts of contactless payment before the end of 2011, with NFC commercial launches by telcos expected next year.

Checking in with NFC–Some Social-Networking Start-ups to Use NFC

MONACO – Finland-based start-up 6Starz plans to launch a trial this summer enabling users to tap their NFC phones to check-in at restaurants and other establishments and to chat and exchange profile details with new friends.

Nokia Takes New Approach to Promoting NFC

Aug 18 2011

MONACO – The NFC ecosystem has been preoccupied with payment and other applications that require a secure element, according to Nokia, which Wednesday unveiled its new focus on NFC applications it says can be rolled out quickly.

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.