Latest News

Platform Providers Predict Demand for White-Label Wallets; Some Merchants See Room for Improvement

Published: Oct 31 2013

While mobile-wallet platform providers see demand for white-label wallets, some merchants say they see room for improvement in the current offerings.

Read more »
TAGS:

Possible Fragmentation an Issue as Dutch Banks and Telcos Prepare for NFC Post ‘Sixpack’

Published: Oct 29 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Whereas three years ago, major banks and telcos in the Netherlands looked like they would move forward together on NFC mobile payments, with plans to form a first-of-its kind joint venture, the situation today promises to be much different.

Read more »
TAGS:

Inside Modifies Corporate Structure, as It Continues to Pull Back from NFC Controller Market

Published: Oct 28 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Inside Secure has reorganized its business units, as it continues to refocus its strategy toward embedded security while pulling back from the NFC controller market.

Read more »
TAGS:

NXP Sees Second Straight Quarterly Drop in NFC Revenue; Predicts ‘Reacceleration’ in 2014

Published: Oct 28 2013

NXP Semiconductors said its NFC revenue fell in the third quarter, the second straight quarterly drop, though CEO Richard Clemmer said the Netherlands-based chip maker is “as convinced with the opportunity for NFC across the board as we ever have been,” and added that NXP would compete “aggressively” for the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Read more »
TAGS:

Gemalto CEO: It’s a ‘Race’ between Isis and MCX, Though Both to Get Head Start on M-Payments in U.S.

Published: Oct 24 2013
Oct 25 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: France-based Gemalto today reported higher revenue in the third quarter for its mobile-payments platforms as well as increased shipments of NFC SIMs and dual-interface banking cards.

Read more »
TAGS:

MCX Merchant Group to Enable Payments Through Individual and Core Apps

Published: Oct 22 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: The U.S. MCX merchant consortium will introduce its own mobile-commerce app, as well as making much of the same functionality available in individual apps from its members–including a proprietary mobile-payments service based on QR codes.

Read more »
TAGS:

Australian Bank Likely First to Launch Payment on Samsung Embedded Chips; Other Banks Interested

Published: Oct 22 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Australia’s Commonwealth Bank has disclosed plans to put a MasterCard PayPass application onto an embedded secure element in selected Android NFC phones, the first major bank to disclose plans for launching commercial NFC payments on embedded chips since Google Wallet.

Read more »
TAGS:

Samsung Splits Supply Contracts for NFC Chips for Galaxy Note 3 Between Broadcom and NXP

Published: Oct 22 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Samsung Electronics has split the NFC chip supply contracts for its new Galaxy Note 3, possibly the first major NFC device that has multiple chip suppliers, NFC Times has learned.

Read more »
TAGS:

European mPOS Providers Report Growth; See Advantage in EMV Experience

Published: Oct 22 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Mobile point-of-sale providers in Europe see significant growth in merchant numbers and transaction volumes and believe that EMV compliance will give European point-of-sale companies a leg up as they look to expand to the U.S.

Read more »
TAGS:

Isis Provides Peek at New Wallet Design; Offers Simplified Interface for National Launch

Published: Oct 14 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: As it prepares to launch its national rollout, the Isis joint venture seeks to simplify the user interface for consumers to conduct payments and redeem offers and rewards with the second version of its mobile wallet.

Read more »
TAGS:

NFC Backer Chunghwa Telecom Seeks Cut of Transaction Fees with New QR Code Payments Service

Published: Oct 14 2013

Taipei, TAIWAN–NFC Times Exclusive: Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest mobile operator and a long-time backer of NFC, has introduced its QR code-based mobile-payments service, with plans to pursue NFC and QR code mobile-payments in separate tracks.

Read more »
TAGS:

Visa Cuts Deals with Telcos to Preload PayWave on NFC SIMs

Published: Oct 3 2013

Visa has done deals with major mobile operators that would have the telcos preloading the Visa payWave application on their NFC SIMs, according to a representative of Visa Europe

Read more »
TAGS:

French Telcos Delay National NFC Rollouts; Vendors Blamed, in Part, for Interoperability Problems

Published: Oct 3 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: French mobile operators are delaying their nationwide rollout, citing interoperability problems between TSMs and SIMs provided by different vendors, among other issues, NFC Times has learned.

Read more »
TAGS:

Visa Cuts Deals with Telcos to Preload payWave on NFC SIMs

Published: Oct 3 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Visa has done deals with major mobile operators that would have the telcos preloading the Visa payWave application on their NFC SIMs, according to a representative of Visa Europe.

Read more »
TAGS:

NFC SIM Shipments Reach 30 Million in H1–Matching FY 2012, as Isis Gears Up; 80 million Projected This Year

Published: Oct 3 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: SIM vendors shipped just over 31 million NFC SIM cards to mobile operators during the first half of 2013–equaling the number of NFC SIMs during all of 2012–and shipments are projected to hit 80 million for 2013, according to figures and forecasts obtained by NFC Times.

Read more »
TAGS:

Barclaycard US Sees Higher Use of QR-Code M-Payment When Combined with Offers; but Commercial Plans Unclear

Published: Sep 23 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Transactions increased significantly for several merchants trialing a QR-code-based mobile-payment app from Barclaycard US when the merchants added offers, but overall take-up of the bPay app has been modest, according to merchant interviews conducted by NFC Times.

Read more »
TAGS:

Gemalto Needs Market Momentum on Mobile Payments to Hit Ambitious Profit Goals

Published: Sep 12 2013

NFC Times Exclusive Analysis: France-based Gemalto has set an ambitious goal of doubling its operating profits by 2017, and the ramping up of trusted service management business is key to hitting that objective.

Read more »
TAGS:

Canada’s EnStream Seeks to Carve Out Role as NFC Aggregator

Published: Aug 14 2013

Canada’s fifth largest credit card issuer, Desjardins Group, plans to launch NFC mobile payments in 2014, and has become the first issuer to sign up with mobile operator joint venture EnStream in hopes of reaching subscribers from multiple telcos in the country.

Read more »
TAGS:

Inside to Support Mifare Classic on New Embedded Chip without License; Will NXP Try to Stop It?

Published: Aug 8 2013
Aug 27 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: Chip supplier Inside Secure plans to support Mifare Classic on its new embedded secure element for NFC phones and contends it does not need a license from Mifare owner NXP Semiconductors because the technology is in the public domain. A representative of NXP warned against the move.

Read more »
TAGS:

DeviceFidelity Prepares to Launch iPhone 5 Case; Product is Crucial for Company

Published: Aug 8 2013

NFC Times Exclusive: A long-anticipated but delayed launch of an NFC case for the iPhone 5 is finally ready to go forward, following remaining approvals needed from Visa and Apple, NFC Times has learned.

Read more »
TAGS:

GSMA Chief: ‘Samsung will support operators that want to launch SIM-based NFC’

Published: Aug 5 2013

By the time Anne Bouverot took up her post as director general of the GSMA mobile operator trade group, in September of 2011, the pioneering NFC program at Orange group where she had worked was already more than five years old. And still there were no NFC rollouts to speak of.

Read more »
TAGS:

Russia’s Largest Bank to Use NFC Embedded Chips; Discussing Pilot with Visa, Samsung for Sochi Games

Published: Jul 8 2013

Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank, plans to launch mobile payment using embedded chips in NFC phones, snubbing Russian mobile operators, the bank’s director of IT strategy told NFC Times.

Read more »
TAGS:

Gemalto Reveals Some Details of MCX Deal; Vendor Will Earn Fees for Transactions

Published: Apr 25 2013

France-based smart card and security vendor Gemalto will operate the mobile-payment platform for U.S. merchant group MCX, earning a fee for every transaction, in addition to what appears to be a hosting fee it says is worth tens of millions.

Read more »
TAGS:

NFC Joint Patent Program Ends; No Disruption to Licensing, Say Chip Makers

Published: Jun 22 2012

A joint NFC patent licensing program set up more than five years ago to make key NFC technology available to device makers has been discontinued.

Read more »
TAGS:

New Zealand Telcos and Bank-Owned Processor Plan NFC Joint Venture

Published: Apr 2 2012
Apr 3 2012

New Zealand’s three mobile operators and its bank-owned payments processor have announced plans to form a joint venture to launch a centralized trusted service manager for the rollout of NFC services.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.  

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:

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.

Read more »
TAGS:
More features...