MasterCard and Telefónica have announced they are forming a joint venture to launch mobile payment solutions in 12 Latin American countries. The new 50-50 JV will seek to provide some 87 million people with mobile payment services linked to a mobile wallet or prepaid account, including money transfers, mobile airtime reload, bill payment and retail […]

MasterCard Worldwide has appointed Mung-Ki Woo as group executive of the company’s mobile division. According to MasterCard, Woo will have global responsibility for innovation, commercialization and development of go-to-market strategies to support mobile payments around the world. Most recently, Woo was Vice President of Electronic Payments & Transactions at the France Telecom – Orange Group, […]

Visa Europe and Wireless Dynamics announced the development of a mobile contactless payment solution that will bring contactless payments to iPhone users across Europe. The solution uses Wireless Dynamics’ iCarte, an attachable iPhone accessory that contains an antenna and an embedded Secure Element where the Visa mobile card is stored. To use the solution, consumers […]

Orange is teaming up with Barclaycard to deliver the UK’s first commercial contactless mobile payments service. Set to launch early this summer, the service will be available to customers of Everything Everywhere, the mobile network formed by the merger of Orange and T-Mobile. In order to use the new service, customers must have a Barclaycard […]

Proxama, a UK-based developer of mobile contactless payments and NFC technology, has announced the acquisition of proximity marketing specialist Hypertag, also from the UK. According to Proxama, Hypertag will become a division of Proxama focused on delivering proximity marketing campaigns for international brands such as Nokia, Ford, O2 and BP. It will also add NFC […]

Apple is planning to launch NFC mobile payment for the iPhone and iPad as early as mid-2011, according to Bloomberg. Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm Envisioneering Group, told Bloomberg that the next iPhone and iPad 2, both due to launch later this year, are expected to feature embedded NFC chips that will allow users […]

Starbucks is rolling out a new mobile payment service that allows customers to load credit onto their smart phones to pay for drinks, according to FoneHome.co.uk. Available to iPhone, iPod Touch and Blackberry users in the U.S., the Starbucks Mobile app requires customers to enter their Starbucks Card number, which can be loaded with credit […]

Acculynk has announced that it is bringing its PaySecure Internet PIN debit system to smart phones early this year. The Atlanta-based company says PaySecure Mobile will enable consumers to authenticate their mobile transactions by entering their bank-issued PIN on Acculynk’s graphical, scrambling PIN-pad, which has been specially designed for mobile smart phone platforms. Acculynk first […]

SOFTBANK MOBILE has chosen Gemalto to provide NFC technology for the latest mobile contactless payment trial in Japan. The trial will enable some of SOFTBANK’s customers to use their mobile phone for contactless payments in convenience stores, fast-food restaurants and theaters. The program also offers users the option of performing NFC transactions from two credit […]

Leaked images of RIM’s new BlackBerry smart phone – codenamed “Dakota” – reveal that the handset will feature NFC technology, reports techtree.com According to the leak, the Dakota is expected to contain an embedded NFC chip, like in Samsung’s Nexus S. The device will also be the slimmest BlackBerry to date, with a 10.5 mm […]