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Gemalto CEO: HCE Not Secure for EMV Payments Unless Tokens Stored on Secure Elements or TEE

Published: Mar 7 2014

France-based vendor Gemalto Thursday confirmed its growth projections for 2014 and its longer-term forecast for 2017, despite the recent announcements of support for host-card emulation by Visa and MasterCard Worldwide.

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NXP Wins Back NFC Controller Business for Samsung Flagship But Misses on Embedded Chip

Published: Mar 3 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: Samsung Electronics has switched back to an NFC controller chip from NXP Semiconductors for most of the planned shipments of its new flagship, the Galaxy S5, but the phones will not pack NXP’s embedded secure element, NFC Times has learned.

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Vallée Named COO, as Gemalto Tweaks Internal Structure; TSM Pioneer Chua Departs Morpho

Published: Mar 3 2014
Mar 3 2014

NFC Times Exclusive–People on the Move:
France-based vendor Gemalto has completed internal changes to its corporate structure, creating a separate unit for platforms and services and one for smart card products and appointing executive Philippe Vallée as chief operating officer.

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Visa and MasterCard: HCE Can be as Secure as Secure Elements

Published: Mar 3 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: While continuing to support their applications on secure elements in NFC phones, Visa and MasterCard Worldwide confirmed their firm support for host-card emulation the past week, as they continue to fast-track new HCE specifications to the market.

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Four Asian Telcos Seek to Enable Cross-Border Roaming of NFC Services

Published: Feb 27 2014

BARCELONA, Spain – It’s an oft-repeated goal by NFC backers–to enable customers to use a variety of NFC services when they roam in different countries by downloading the local applications when they arrive at the airport or at the point of service. 

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MasterCard Acquires Mobile Wallet Vendor C-SAM

Published: Feb 25 2014

BARCELONA, Spain– MasterCard Worldwide announced it has acquired U.S.-based mobile wallet vendor C-SAM, a company in which it had made a sizable investment in late 2012.

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MasterCard Seeks to Establish TSM Aggregation Service in Germany

Published: Feb 25 2014

BARCELONA, Spain – MasterCard Worldwide is seeking to expand its little-used service provider TSM aggregation service from Poland to Germany, planning to announce a deal to connect a TSM platform to three major German telcos.

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Samsung’s New Flagship Supports NFC, as Expected, Along with Fingerprint Sensor Securing PayPal

Published: Feb 24 2014

BARCELONA, Spain – Samsung Electronics today unveiled its fifth-generation Galaxy S flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, which will support NFC, as expected, and also feature a fingerprint sensor in the home button that can secure mobile payments. PayPal has announced it will be the first payments company to support the fingerprint authentication feature on the device.

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Inside Secure Improves Earnings; Writes Off NFC Chip Inventory

Published: Feb 24 2014

France-based Inside Secure reported smaller operating losses for 2013, though mainly on an adjusted basis, and wrote off $3.6 million in NFC controller chips it had on hand as it continues to exit the market for the chips.

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Visa and MasterCard Announce Support for Host-Card Emulation

Published: Feb 19 2014

Visa and MasterCard Worldwide have announced support for host-card emulation and cloud-based payments, with Visa saying it already has initial standards ready and noted endorsements from banks in the U.S., Australia and Canada.

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Major Payments Networks Prepare to Introduce Specifications for HCE

Published: Feb 19 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: The major payments schemes have kept a low public profile in their work on host-card emulation, but they have been quietly fast-tracking the drafting of specifications for the technology for use with their NFC-mobile payments applications, NFC Times has learned.

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Spanish Bank Plans Commercial Launch of EMV Mobile Payments Using Host-Card Emulation

Published: Feb 18 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: Spanish bank Bankinter has announced it plans to launch its long-anticipated host-card emulation service commercially in the second or third quarter, following a security evaluation by a Germany-based lab.

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Gemalto Announces Licensing Deal for TSM Aggregation Service in Hong Kong

Published: Feb 13 2014

Gemalto today announced a contract, awarded last year, to supply a TSM platform to Hong Kong ATM and interbank group Jetco.

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Cashwrap iPhone Cases for Isis Mobile Wallet Make Debut with Verizon

Published: Feb 10 2014

Incipio’s Cashwrap NFC case to enable iPhone owners to use the Isis Mobile Wallet is available for Verizon Wireless, the accessories maker announced Thursday.

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NXP Reports ‘Slow Year’ for NFC in 2013 But Remains Optimistic About Design Wins, EMV

Published: Feb 10 2014

NXP Semiconductors, as expected, reported a slowdown in revenue growth in 2013 for NFC, but the chip maker expressed optimism that its NFC business would pick up again around the middle of 2014.

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Canada’s Largest Bank Combines Cloud with SIM; A New Model for the NFC Ecosystem?

Published: Feb 4 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: RBC Secure Cloud Explained: 
As one of the first commercial launches of cloud-based open-loop payments using NFC, observers will be watching closely how well Royal Bank of Canada’s RBC Secure Cloud service does in the market.

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Taiwanese NFC Joint Venture Hires TSM; Low Price Could Impact Other Markets

Published: Jan 30 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: Taiwan’s NFC joint venture formed last year by the country’s five mobile operators and closed-loop payment scheme EasyCard has chosen a TSM provider for its planned TSM hub, NFC Times has learned.

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Spanish Contactless Market Continues to Heat Up with POS Terminal Rollout by Large Retail Chain

Published: Jan 29 2014

Large Spanish department store chain El Corte Inglés has deployed 5,200 contactless terminals in its stores, the company announced on Tuesday, adding more momentum to one of Europe’s top contactless markets.

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Isis iPhone Cases Launch Following Delays; Only for AT&T Customers So Far

Published: Jan 29 2014

Isis telco AT&T is making the first NFC-enabled cases for the iPhone available for use with the Isis Mobile Wallet this week, a move expected to be followed by Verizon Wireless soon.

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TSM Hubs and Aggregators–Can They Help Banks Roll Out NFC?

Published: Jan 23 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: The cost and complexity of loading and provisioning applications on secure elements in NFC phones has held back mobile-payments rollouts and added to the growing interest of such alternatives as host-card emulation, Bluetooth low energy, even QR codes, observers agree.

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Facing Threats, Telcos and Other Players Seek to Cut Cost and Complexity of NFC

Published: Jan 16 2014

NFC ecosystem players are moving to simplify the costly and complex process for putting payment applications on secure elements, as they face mounting frustration at the pace of rollouts–and growing threats from such alternatives as host-card emulation.

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Market Spotlight: Banks Take Active Role in Coming Commercial Launches in Hong Kong

Published: Jan 15 2014

Two of Hong Kong’s largest banks, HSBC and Hang Seng, have announced plans to launch NFC mobile payments on SIM cards with Hong Kong’s major mobile operators, but using their own Android apps. Meanwhile, interest in embedded secure elements among banks remains high in the market.

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Consumer Electronics Makers Continue to Tap NFC Technology for Pairing and Other Connectivity

Published: Jan 13 2014

Continuing last year’s trend for an increased role for NFC in consumer electronics, manufacturers introduced NFC-enabled devices ranging from speakers to home-lighting systems at last week’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

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French Mobile Operator Bouygues Freezes Pioneering NFC Program

Published: Jan 12 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: France’s Bouygues Telecom, a pioneer in the NFC ecosystem, has frozen its NFC program, just months before the French market plans to roll out the technology nationally, NFC Times has learned.

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The Year Ahead for NFC: Telcos Finally Ready to Roll Out, But Alternatives to SIMs Multiply

Published: Jan 5 2014
Jan 7 2014

NFC Times Exclusive: As 2014 unfolds, the NFC ecosystem appears as unsettled as ever, with embedded secure chips expected to compete with NFC SIMs in several markets to store applications, and Google throwing its weight behind an alternative that could eventually enable service providers to avoid secure elements altogether.

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Deals

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

Published: Dec 20 2021

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.

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

Published: Dec 20 2021

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.

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

Published: Dec 20 2021

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.

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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

Published: Dec 20 2021

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.

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

Published: Dec 9 2021

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.

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

Published: Dec 9 2021

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

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

Published: Nov 30 2021

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.

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

Published: Nov 16 2021

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.

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

Published: Nov 16 2021

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.

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

Published: Nov 16 2021

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.

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Features

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

Published: Sep 27 2021
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.

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

Published: Aug 8 2021
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.

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

Published: May 18 2020
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.  

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

Published: Apr 24 2019
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.

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

Published: Aug 15 2018
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.

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

Published: Jul 30 2018
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.

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

Published: Jun 19 2018
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.

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

Published: Jan 11 2018
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.

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

Published: Jan 2 2018
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.

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

Published: Dec 1 2017
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.

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