Actis, a private equity investor in emerging markets, has announced the 100% management buy-out of Mediterranean Smart Cards Company (MSCC), one of Africa’s leading electronic payment processors. According to Actis, Africa is the last continent to move away from a cash society, and the acquisition of MSCC reflects the company’s belief in the fundamental shift […]

McDonald’s has begun offering NFC mobile coupons in restaurants across Japan, according to Mobile Commerce Daily. Once a week McDonald’s sends registered members of its “Toku” promotional program – now numbering 18 million – a list of coupons directly to their mobile phones. Customers then have the choice of opening the coupon on the phone’s […]

Slovenia has recently launched a new multi-function contactless smart card for tourists and residents, according to squidcard.com. The “Urbana” card allows visitors to the capital city Ljubljana to pay for a wide variety of goods and services, such as public transportation, admission to the city’s castle and zoo, as well as gain free internet access. […]

European fuel dispenser provider Tokheim Group has selected OTI’s EasyFuel system to provide vehicle fleet operators with a wireless fuel management system that incorporates vehicle identification. The solution allows Tokheim, which supplies over 31,000 service stations across Europe, to provide new features such as automated odometer and/or engine hour capture, velocity checks and tank capacity […]

GlobalPlatform has announced the launch of a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) Client Application Programming Interface (API) Specification designed to support mobile devices entrusted with sensitive information. The TEE is a secure area that resides in the main processor of the phone and guarantees that sensitive data is stored, processed and protected in a trusted environment. […]

The Toronto Board of Trade (TBT) is urging the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to stick with its plan of implementing Presto’s smart cards instead of an open payment system for The Greater Toronto Area’s public transit, according to thestar.com. If implemented, Presto would allow commuters to tap on to all public transit systems in the […]

Bristol Airport in the UK has switched to YESpay International’s EMBOSS payment service to manage its online, Web-based parking transactions. With EMBOSS, Bristol Airport is now able to perform high-speed secure authorization and settlement of large-volume contact/contactless credit and debit card payments. EMBOSS features a secure cardholder authentication payment mechanism for e-commerce transactions, known as […]

The mobile payment market in China is expected to grow dramatically in the next two years, with the number of users exceeding 100 million by 2011, according to The Global Times. IT research firm Analysis International reports that last year there were 72.8 million mobile payment subscribers in China, of which only 27.16 million used […]

New Zealand’s contactless payment provider Snapper has announced the launch of its new product range, new online top-up application and new accessories. The new Snapper product range includes three new Snapper devices – the Mini, the Mini Jr. and the Sprat – that are smaller and easier to use than the classic Snapper card, while […]

In Australia, Victoria the ill-fated myki smart card system is set to go live on buses and trams on Sunday, according to ABC News. The $1.3 billion system has already been active on Melbourne’s metro trains for months, but technical issues have kept it from being implemented across all public transportation in Victoria. Public Transport […]