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Survey Says Most Consumers Not Waiting for Mobile Wallets

Published: Jun 17 2011

A survey conducted for consumer electronics shopping and review site Retrevo showed that only a little more than one in five respondents said they wanted NFC and a mobile wallet on their next mobile phone, while 53% said they were not interested and 26% didn't know what NFC or a mobile wallet was.

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German Telcos Plan to Launch Payment Trial with Stickers

Published: Jun 17 2011

Three major German mobile operators plan to launch a trial of their own payment brand using contactless stickers in three cities before the end of the year, NFC Times has learned.

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Turkish Telco to Launch Branded Android NFC Phone from Huawei

Published: Jun 17 2011

Turkey’s largest mobile operator, Turkcell, plans to introduce its own branded NFC phone, an Android model made for it by Chinese manufacturer Huawei, NFC Times has learned.

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Sony Ericsson to Support NFC in Future Android Phones

Published: Jun 16 2011
Jun 16 2011

Sony Ericsson is the latest smartphone maker to commit to NFC, with NXP Semiconductors announcing today that the Japanese-Swedish phone vendor has chosen NXP’s NFC chips for its Android-based Xperia phones.

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UK Mobile Operators Plan Joint Venture for NFC M-Commerce Push

Published: Jun 16 2011
Jun 16 2011

UPDATED: Facing the prospect of market fragmentation and threats from such new mobile-commerce players as Google, the three largest mobile operators in the United Kingdom plan a joint venture to provide a "one-stop shop" for mobile advertising, payment, ticketing and other services in the telcos’ planned NFC mobile wallets.

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Airline to Speed Check-ins with Stickers; NFC App Likely to Follow

Published: Jun 15 2011

Scandinavian Airlines will issue contactless stickers to its top frequent fliers, enabling them to check in faster at the airlines self-service kiosks, lounges and gates.

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Orange France to Put Three New NFC Phones on Sale

Published: Jun 14 2011

France Telecom-Orange will put three new NFC handsets on sale by July, including the previously announced Wave 578 from Samsung Electronics.

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Moscow Airport Shuttle Continues NFC Test; Rollout Possible

Published: Jun 14 2011

Moscow airport shuttle service Aeroexpress is launching the second phase of its NFC ticketing trial, using NFC chips with flexible antennas and stickers as well as NFC phones, to enable participants to buy tickets with a tap of their handsets.

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Google to Expand Wallet to Europe in 2012; Sees One Wallet Per Phone

Published: Jun 13 2011

LONDON – Google plans to launch its Google Wallet in at least one major European city during the first half of 2012, said Osama Bedier, Google’s vice president of payments, who discounted talk of a coming NFC wallet war in either the United States or Europe.

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U.S. Bank to Issue Dual-Interface EMV Cards

Published: Jun 10 2011

In a first for the U.S. market, one of the country’s largest banks plans to begin issuing dual-interface EMV cards targeted at international travelers.

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NXP CEO Says Google Wallet To Double Company's NFC Chip Sales

Published: Jun 9 2011

Google Inc.'s mobile payment system will help to double sales of NXP Semiconductors NV's near-field communication chips in the next couple of years, but other technological developments promise higher growth rates, according to the Dutch firm's chief executive. (Dow Jones)

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NFC Hotel Room Keys Could Unlock Other Services, Says Vendor

Published: Jun 8 2011

Boosted by the results of its just-completed trial in Sweden enabling 28 frequent hotel guests to download room keys to their NFC phones and tap to enter their rooms, vendor Assa Abloy said it is seeking to expand its Mobile Keys service.

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MasterCard Names a TSM Partner For Its Provisioning Service

Published: Jun 7 2011

MasterCard Worldwide today announced its first partnership with a trusted service manager, Cassis International, to support its “streamlined” system to personalize PayPass contactless applications in NFC phones from various issuers.

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Gartner: Google Has Hurdles to Clear with Wallet

Published: Jun 2 2011

The Google Wallet has “several promising aspects,” but must overcome a number of hurdles to reach mass adoption, said U.S.-based research firm Gartner.

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Google to Launch Its NFC Offers Service, Challenging Groupon

Published: Jun 1 2011

Google is officially launching its NFC-based Google Offers service today in Portland, Ore., with executives yesterday unveiling more details of what some are calling the search giant's planned “Groupon killer.”

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Broadcom Sees NFC Technology as Revenue Key

Published: May 31 2011

U.S. chipmaker Broadcom Corp. expects Near Field Communication wireless technology to be a main revenue driver in coming years as paying by mobile handsets becomes routine. (Reuters)

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French Government to Offer Up to €20 million in NFC Funding for Cities

Published: May 30 2011

The French government has announced it will offer up to €20 million (US$28.6 million) to French cities and other local agencies to assist them in rolling out NFC services.

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PayPal Vs. Google Suit Reveals Rivalry Over Expected M-Payments Bonanza

Published: May 27 2011

Online payment company PayPal wasted little time in giving its review of the new Google Wallet, filing suit against the two Google executives who led the unveiling of the NFC wallet yesterday–accusing the executives of stealing PayPal's trade secrets.

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Google Unveils Its NFC Wallet, Seeking ‘New Era of Commerce’

Published: May 26 2011
May 27 2011

Google has unveiled its NFC Google Wallet, which the Web giant hopes will usher in a "new era of commerce," using its Nexus S handset and, later, other Android NFC devices.

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Google to Announce its NFC Mobile-Commerce Initiative

Published: May 25 2011

Google has confirmed it will be making a “partner announcement” concerning its NFC mobile-commerce initiative, which will be held tomorrow in New York.

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Announcement Involving Google, Citi and MasterCard Expected This Week

Published: May 25 2011

An announcement by Citigroup and MasterCard Worldwide with Google of an NFC-based payment service is expected by the end of the week, sources told NFC Times.

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Starbucks Plans to Accept Contactless Payment in the UK

Published: May 24 2011

The Starbucks coffee chain is the latest merchant to signal it will accept contactless payment in the United Kingdom, adding more momentum to the rollout there.

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NXP CEO Casts More Doubt on Prospects for NFC IPhone in 2011

Published: May 24 2011

NXP Semiconductors CEO Richard Clemmer said he would be “surprised” if the next iPhone supports Near Field Communication–the most important source yet to express doubts that Apple will adopt NFC this year.

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Coming Soon: Tapping to View Movie Trailers in London

Published: May 23 2011
May 24 2011

In what could be a sign of things to come for NFC applications, some NFC phone users in London will be able to tap movie posters for the forthcoming film, X-Men: First Class, to view a preview clip and link to the film’s Facebook page.

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Orange and Barclaycard Launch ‘Quick Tap’ NFC Payment Service

Published: May 20 2011
May 20 2011

Orange UK and Barclaycard today announced their much-anticipated commercial launch of NFC, a mobile-payment service called “Quick Tap.”

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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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