OP-Pohjola Group, a Finland-based provider of financial and banking services, announced it will introduce payment cards utilizing contactless technology, making it possible for customers to pay for small purchases without entering the PIN. Payment cards utilizing contactless technology are currently being tested both in Finland and abroad. OP-Pohjola Group hopes to have OP-Visa Debit cards […]

TransCard, a provider of payment solutions for financial institutions, has received MasterCard PayPass certification for NFC-enabled contactless payment transactions. Financial institutions and corporate clients working with TransCard are now able to offer contactless payment programs that are either stand-alone or connected to an existing TransCard prepaid card account. The Tennessee-based company’s offerings include prepaid gift […]

Emirates NBD, the largest bank in the UAE, has announced the launch of the “MoneyMobile,” a contactless payment solution that will enable customers to pay for purchases with a single tap of an NFC-enabled device. Developed in partnership with local teleco Etisalat and trusted service manager Gemalto, the service will be accepted at Visa payWave […]

Mobile operator 3UK has asked the European Commission to investigate “Project Oscar,” a U.K. mobile payments joint venture from Everything Everywhere, O2 and Vodafone, according to PCWorld. 3UK claims that the joint venture, which would enable customers to make payments using debit accounts on NFC-enabled handsets, is “discriminatory” in that the three companies involved account […]

Blaze Mobile has been awarded a new patent for mobile banking and payment transactions, covering any transactions that comprise bill payment, peer-to-peer (P2P) funds transfer and funds transfer between bank accounts and credit cards. In all cases, the patent covers the funding of the banking transactions using NFC technology. “After the deciding to perform the […]

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank has announced that more than 120,000 customers have downloaded its Kaching mobile banking and contactless payments app since its launch in December, according to iTWire. Commbank did not disclose how many out of those 120,000 are using the app’s contactless payments feature, which requires iPhone users to buy an NFC-enabled iCarte protective […]

Discover announced it is implementing a 2013 EMV mandate for acquirers and direct-connect merchants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This industry alignment will streamline certification and deployment efforts and enable a manageable transition for all parties involved, including issuers, merchants and acquirers. To date, Discover has prioritized its global EMV-deployment efforts towards markets which […]

easycash Loyalty Solutions, part of Ingenico Group, announced it has provided Europe-based electronics and engineering company Siemens with a prepaid payment and contactless solution. The new contactless solution for Siemens is offers both guests and members of staff with the ability to pay for meals at the company’s restaurants, making use of two mediums: Siemens […]

Mobile payments start up Boku has received $35 million in funding from Telefonica Digital, the tech arm of Spanish mobile operator Telefonica, and New Enterprise Associates among other investors. According to Boku, the funding will be used to broaden the company’s infrastructure and expend its operations, which includes the recently launched NFC mobile payments service […]

Less than a third of U.S. consumers would switch handsets in order to use their cell phones to make purchases, according to the latest Payment Report from Auriemma Consulting Group. Furthermore, ACG has found that just 23% of consumers would consider switching mobile telephone providers in order to obtain a phone that can perform mobile […]