Apple Wins Patent for Robust, NFC-Capable Shopping App

Image via CrunchBase ePaymentNews NFC Mobile Payment

Apple Wins Patent for Robust, NFC-Capable Shopping App Wired News Apple was granted a patent for a shopping-list app on Tuesday, underscoring the company's possible entry into the mobile payment and NFC space. United States Patent No. 8239276, "On-the-go shopping list," isn't unlike shopping apps already out there ... See all stories on this topic » Wired News

Mobile commerce industry in need of new partnerships QR Code Press Mobile commerce has become a popular concept, but has had trouble moving beyond the conceptual stages. Though mobile payment systems currently exist, the availability of NFC-enabled mobile devices has made it difficult for consumers to make use of ... See all stories on this topic » QR Code Press

Smartphone users in Singapore to receive NFC later this month (Singapore) Wireless Federation In an attempt to enable easy payment options using near-field communication (NFC) technology, mobile operators SingTel, StarHub and M1 in Singapore have formed a consortium with Citibank, DBS and EZ-Link. According to reports, the consortium will offer ... See all stories on this topic »

Cellcom, ICC sign mobile credit card deal [Globes, Tel Aviv, Israel] Equities.com NFC does not require swiping or direct contact of a credit card; instead it is passed over the point of sale. When an NFC chip is embedded in a mobile phone, the phone will become a credit card for paying at points of sale. Today, most payment systems ... See all stories on this topic »

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San Francisco Coffee Selects ION Loyalty® to Help Take On Starbucks®

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

San Francisco Coffee Selects ION Loyalty^® to Help Take On Starbucks^®

Local, Independent Roasting Company Using Mobile Marketing, Payments & Rewards App

ATLANTA, GA –

7 August, 2012 – Marking its 20th year in business, San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company® today announced the launch of ION Loyalty for its three Atlanta-area locations. The Company uses ION to market its products to nearby consumers, accept payments through customers’ phones and reward its customers when they stop and spend.

“We started our neighborhood coffee roasting company 20 years ago this week and never imagined how quickly mobile technology would change our business,” said Tanya Bond, owner. “We realized if we were to compete with much larger, national chains for customers, it would take more than our great coffee and food. We’d have to compete through technology as well.”

San Francisco Coffee creates ION Offers to promote its beverages, food and retail products to nearby consumers using the free ION Rewards app on their phones. Customers buying one or more product Offers are instantly rewarded with IONs on their phones. Customers can spend their IONs like cash at one of our shops or at any restaurant or retailer using ION Loyalty.

“Our ION system is actually more advanced than Starbucks’ mobile app,” continued Bond. “Our customers can earn and spend their ION rewards instantly. They don’t wait for a postcard in the mail. Plus, our shops are part of neighborhoods where many customers also shop and dine at places next door or around the corner. It only makes sense for us all to share in getting and keeping our good customers.”

Customers linking a free Dwolla (www.dwolla.com) account to their ION Rewards app can move funds from their bank accounts at no cost then pay with their phones at any San Francisco Coffee locations. We double the ION rewards for customers paying with their phones as thanks for helping us cut or reduce expensive credit card fees.

About San Francisco Coffee Roasting Co.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in the specialty coffee trade, San Francisco Coffee Roasting Company selects, blends and roasts the finest coffee beans from around the world with utmost care.  Selecting only the most flavorful, character-rich beans available is important to us, and we roast only in small batches for the freshest, ‘right out of the roaster’ flavor.  From Africa and Arabia to the Americas and India, our selection of coffees and roast styles are the finest.  Visit www.mysfcoffee.com.

About ION

ION is the first, fully digital mobile marketing, payment and loyalty rewards app for phones and tablets.  ION Loyalty^® pays merchants for customer rewards and helps neighborhood retailers and restaurants increase sales and cut credit card fees.  ION Rewards^® pays consumers for shopping and dining, paying with their phones, connecting with friends and signing up favorite places. The free apps support iOS and most Android devices. Visit www.ionRewards.com or www.ionLoyalty.com.

Westpac and MasterCard trial SIM + NFC phone payment system

News 4 new results for NFC Mobile Payment

How Apple Can Upend Mobile Payments With The iPhone 5... Business Insider In a recent report, BI Intelligence explores the state of mobile payments, explaining how NFC differs from other solutions in the market, and analyzing how Apple has a unique opportunity to own NFC and upend the mobile payments market. Access The Full ... See all stories on this topic »

National NFC service to go live in Singapore this month NFC World Singapore carrier StarHub has unveiled "SmartWallet", an NFC mobile wallet that enables customers to make payments and both receive and redeem coupons. With financial institution DBS Bank, transportation card issuer EZ-Link and NFC technology ... See all stories on this topic » NFC World

Google Wallet Moves to Cloud, Focuses on Security CloudTimes (blog) Security has been the key to this new version of NFC-enabled mobile payment platform, as it has focused on providing as much information to the user to feel that their money is insured by the app in question. "To support all credit and debit cards, we ... See all stories on this topic »

Westpac and MasterCard trial SIM + NFC phone payment system CNET Australia The new mobile contactless payment app will work on NFC-enabled Android handsets and can make payments by tapping at PayPass terminals, which are now widely available in stores. Our sister site ZDNet reported that the current trial, which starts today, ... See all stories on this topic »

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ID Tech Acquires ViVOpay (Hardware side)

ViVOpay News

From ID Tech's Website: ID TECH Acquires ViVOpay August 6, 2012 - ID TECH, a division of International Technologies Systems Corporation, is pleased to announce the acquisition of ViVOtech Inc.’s reader assets, technologies, and ViVOpay trademark. These include ViVOpay’s industry leading contactless/NFC readers for point of sale, self-service kiosk, and vending applications that compliment ID TECH’s extensive product offerings. The incorporation of these products and technologies further enhances ID TECH’s market leading solutions for the payment industry. ID TECH is actively working to ensure the continued support of ViVOpay products and customers, effective immediately. For questions and more information throughout this transition process, please use the following ViVOpay contacts below: Bob Cook, Senior Vice President of Global Sales bobc@idtechproducts.com

ViVOtech sells contactless reader unit, shifts focus to m-commerce software Fiercemobilecontent ViVOtech has sold its Near Field Communications contactless reader business to smart card and credit card reader manufacturer ID Tech. Financial terms were not disclosed. ViVOtech's ViVOpay contactless readers enable merchants to accept NFC-based ... See all stories on this topic »

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CardEx Enters Consumer Prepaid Segment with the Launch of AIR

Advertisement
IMI creates and builds "breaking news" websites around industry specific keywords.  Our proprietary "NewsBots" scour the web for specific keywords and once a breaking news story surrounding the keyword is found, it is sent to our server and edited into a news posting containing a Title, Photo, author credit, 25 word blurb and a direct link to the original content provider. The process is well served by the search engines and works as a traffic magnet.  We will provide "targeted traffic" to any vertical, any niche, any subject.  Click here to request more info

Live Site Examples: Near Field Communication News or take a look at the "Breaking News Site" we built for the NBA's Miami Heat. NBANewsHeat.com   Visit  Breaking News = Traffic to learn how your industry related breaking news website can be a "targeted" traffic magnet.

CardEx Enters Consumer Prepaid Segment with the Launch of AIR

Appoints Prepaid Industry Veteran Steven Ascher to Head Revenue Growth for Retail Distribution Channel

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 07, 2012 – Card Express, Inc. (CardEx), a leading provider of prepaid debit program management and processing solutions, today announced the launch of the first product in its new consumer prepaid offering – the AIR Virtual Prepaid Code. AIR, an open loop MasterCard gift code, is a proprietary code redeemable for a non-reloadable virtual prepaid MasterCard for use in online and mail order purchases. 

Designed to meet the needs of the growing prepaid-preferred eCommerce consumer segment, AIR enables these consumers to purchase products and services online without the fees of a traditional open loop GPR card. As a virtual prepaid product, CardEx AIR eliminates the expense of distributing a physical card,resulting in a greatly reduced fee structure for consumers. Consumers will also benefit from a revised distribution model, which is focused on smaller format retail channels that are more convenient than big-box retail locations, making AIR immediately accessible.

"AIR is a first step in the new direction of Prepaid, of which CardEx will be at the forefront," stated Sean Safahi, CEO of CardEx.  "The approach that we have taken in developing this product is indicative of a future in which Prepaid products are driven by the needs, demands and concerns of the consumers, above all else."

CardEx AIR operates using a unique code that a consumer can redeem via a secure web portal for a Virtual Prepaid MasterCard. Cards are linked to a consumer’s name and address, enabling online shopping, and can be used anywhere online where MasterCard Debit Cards are accepted worldwide. Each card has a 6-month expiration period from the time of code redemption and offers consumers access to card activity and balance information via web or IVR. 

In related news, CardEx today announced the appointment of Steven Ascher as Vice President of Business Development. Steven will be responsible for managing company-wide sales and business development activities, developing new product revenue opportunities in the consumer prepaid segment, and growth strategies for existing corporate products.

Ascher’s experience extends across 15 years in prepaid product development and sales. Most recently he managed the prepaid initiatives for Alltel Wireless. While at Alltel he was instrumental in creating rate plans and expanding distribution in the indirect and retail channels. Prior to Alltel Wireless, through his consulting group he supported several companies in the prepaid space including Blackhawk Network, Vesta and Cap Gemini to expand prepaid products and services at retail.

“I am truly excited about joining the CardEx team at this pivotal time in the company’s growth and expansion,” said Ascher. “With the company’s launch into the consumer prepaid segment comes both opportunity and challenges, both of which I look forward to capitalizing on through my experience in prepaid processing and program management.”

AIR Virtual MasterCards will be sold through retail distribution partners nationwide and will be available in select markets beginning Early Fall 2012. For more information regarding the availability of CardEx AIR, contact Steven Ascher on 949.254.0990 or steven.ascher@cardex.com.

About Card Express, Inc.

Card Express, Inc. (CardEx) is a leading provider of prepaid debit program management and processing solutions. A pioneer in the prepaid industry, CardEx provides both consumer general-purpose reloadable prepaid card programs and corporate funded prepaid card programs for Fortune 1000 companies nationwide including incentives, rebates, loyalty and promotions.  Founded in 1995, CardEx is the first in the industry to issue a universally accepted MasterCard Gift Card in 1996, a universally accepted reloadable MasterCard Incentive Card in 1997, and a virtual MasterCard prepaid card in 1999. For more information, visit http://www.cardex.com. 

Mobile payments threatened by diverse offerings, says platform provider

News 5 new results for NFC Mobile Payment

iPhone 5 Mobile Payments to Spark POS Sales? Channelnomics A Wall Street Journal article recently disclosed that Apple has been hesitant to enable NFC mostly because the mobile payment market has yet to become federated around a single solution. To date, Apple's iOS 6 Passbook application (which uses bar codes ... See all stories on this topic »

Mobile payments threatened by diverse offerings, says platform provider Retail Times Keith Brown, managing director at paythru, said: "As it stands the mobile payments market is very fragmented: digital wallets, NFC and mobile apps are all designed to enable m-commerce. "However, many of these have limitations. For example, NFC is only ... See all stories on this topic »

Survey: Majority of UK smart phone users still 'unlikely' to use NFC NFCNews The survey found that younger smart phone owners are more open to using a mobile wallet, with 42% of 18-24 year olds responding that they would be likely make NFC payments. However, over half (52%) of 18-24 year olds are still unlikely to use NFC ... See all stories on this topic »

Elisa issues NFC stickers to students NFC World Finnish mobile network operator Elisa has partnered with MasterCard and the student-owned Lyyra discount and benefit card to issue prepaid NFC stickers to more than 100000 students from the third quarter of 2012. Lyyra and Elisa. Students will be able ... See all stories on this topic » NFC World

Gemalto's NFC management service goes live in Singapore NFCNews According to Gemalto, the upcoming commercial roll out of NFC services will enable Singapore residents to tap and pay using their NFC-enabled mobile devices at over 20000 retail points, such as convenience stores, fast food restaurants, retailers and ... See all stories on this topic »

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Apple could play key role in driving NFC | ZDNet

Apple could play key role in driving NFC | ZDNet Consumers also need motivation to use their handsets for NFC mobile contactless payment Carrington added The payment experience needs to be more convenient ... www.zdnet.com/apple-could-play-key-role-in-driving-nfc-70...

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37 "Mobile Payment" News Stories for August 7th, 2012

ePaymentNews                                          Because New News is Good News tm

Mobile payment options catching on quickly for small companies Arizona Republic If all goes as planned, customers of family-owned Ben White Florist in Austin, Texas, can start buying flowers this month by swiping a smartphone at checkout. Representatives working for Isis, the mobile-payment company behind the technology, have been ... See all stories on this topic »

Want to Do Mobile Payments? Here's a Free Tablet New York Times (blog) The free-gear offer is just one of the tricks that start-ups are experimenting with to push their mobile payment services. Scvngr, the start-up that offers a mobile payment service called LevelUp, recently eliminated its transaction fee and is instead bringing in ... See all stories on this topic »

Phone cash beats money in wallet NEWS.com.au But the trial is only one example of new mobile payment technology introduced into our pockets. The Commonwealth Bank is already selling credit-ready Apple iPhone cases for payments on the go, apps such as Kaching and ANZ's goMoney let users pay ... See all stories on this topic »

MTN Mobile Money record 9.5 million transactions in two years Myjoyonline.com The forums was jointly organized by MTN Ghana and Joy FM to find ways of making cashless financial transactions like the use of mobile payment systems, smart cards, direct money transfers, and other e-payment technologies more accessible to lots of ... See all stories on this topic » Myjoyonline.com

Gemalto to launch Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in Singapore e27 The consortium led by Gemalto today announced its readiness to launch mobile payment services using the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the implementation of the ... See all stories on this topic »

Do you need a hacker-proof wallet? MSN Money Meanwhile, card data loaded onto a mobile payment platform like Google Wallet is even more secure from such methods. As Wisniewski notes, unlike a contactless card, the payment data on your phone can't be read without you entering a PIN code. As such ... See all stories on this topic »

Neutrino, QuickPay link suite of apps through mobile payments Mobile Payments Today Mobile app developer Neutrino Media Group announced it has joined with mobile payment platform QuickPay Corp. to develop a new suite of consumer mobile applications called ROYCE that will be powered by QP QuickPay. Consumer applications in the ... See all stories on this topic »

BANK OF EAST ASIA : BEA Extends Mobile Transaction Capability to All iPhone ... 4-traders This value-added feature has been created by utilising the JETCO Mobile Payment Gateway to facilitate credit card payments. BEA is the first bank in Hong Kong to offer such flexibility to non-customers of the Bank, and the new function will first be introduced ... See all stories on this topic »

Now you can pay with a smartphone using a Samsung Galaxy S3 Herald Sun How the mobile payment trial works. - Optus provides a phone SIM card securely programmed with Debit MasterCard details - Users insert SIM card into a Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone - The smartphones use the Google Android Westpac TAP app ... See all stories on this topic »

Westpac trials MasterCard mobile payments TechDay.co.nz "MasterCard's vision of a world beyond cash is being realised as organisations like Westpac take bold steps toward a mobile payment future." The announcement follows the news that New Zealand is on track to becoming a cashless society after MasterCard ... See all stories on this topic » TechDay.co.nz

Corethree launches Core Engine m-wallet, a platform to drive a cashless society The Next Web Corethree, the firm that works toward making more services mobile, has released 'm-wallet', a mobile payment infrastructure for clients with solutions built on Core Engine, its mobile application platform. Core Engine is a distributed content management ... See all stories on this topic » The Next Web

GoPago Offers Merchants Free Tablets, Service MediaPost Communications When it comes to transactional costs, GoPago Live is charging a fixed 2.85%, which is slightly higher than the rate charged by other mobile payment systems, like Square Register (2.75%) and PayPal Here (2.7%). Square and PayPal are not giving out iPads ... See all stories on this topic » MediaPost Communications

Research and Markets: mobileYouth Report 2012: Mobile Money PYMNTS.com An in-depth look into Safaricom's success with M-PESA helps reveal how operators can develop mobile payment services as a new revenue source and also lower churn in the process. Key Topics Covered: I. Executive Summary. II. Global Mobile Money ... See all stories on this topic »

Google Wallet draws interest but no decisions from Amex QR Code Press Nothing is official quite yet between Amex and the mobile payment program. In the Google Wallet blog, on the first of the month, it was suggested that there was a relationship between itself and American Express that was much more solid than the actual truth. See all stories on this topic » QR Code Press

Pay-by-cellphone still more hype than reality Pacific Daily News "Several inhibitors will remain, preventing the technology from reaching critical mass," writes Thomas Husson, an analyst at Forrester Research in a mobile payment report released last week. Called near field communication, or NFC, the technology enables ... See all stories on this topic »

Success of cashless initiative dependent on reliable identity management, says ... BusinessDay He applauded the development of the Mobile Payment Services Sector (MPSS) which has achieved remarkable feats which includes the licensing of Mobile Payment Service Providers (MPSP) e.g. Pagatech, Fortis Mobile, UBA/Afripay, GTBank, eTranzact. See all stories on this topic »

Neutrino, QuickPay partner on mobile apps development Telecompaper (subscription) Multi-media and application development company Neutrino Media Group and mobile payment platform provider QuickPay have launched a joint venture to develop Neutrino's new suite of consumer mobile applications under the name Royce powered by QP ... See all stories on this topic »

Corethree intros m-wallet with m-payment options in UK Telecompaper (subscription) Corethree has launched a mobile payment infrastructure for customers with services built on its Core Engine mobile application platform. The Core Engine m-wallet allows users to register their payment card details once, and re-use them across multiple ... See all stories on this topic »

Forrester: NFC adoption still a few years off Mobile Payments Today Everytime I get an email coupon from Papa Murphys, the … Photo Gallery. 472. http://global.networldalliance.com/new/images/slideshows/show472_thumb6977.jpg. Barclaycard pilots a new mobile payment app. Barclaycard pilots a new mobile payment app ... See all stories on this topic »

Why Google Needs to Take Over Development of YouTube on iOS 6 Gotta Be Mobile Hopefully, with freed up resources, we may see Apple venture into other areas, such as mobile payment and NFC technologies. Regardless of whether Apple or Google killed YouTube, the new player developed by Google may be something that will be good ... See all stories on this topic » Gotta Be Mobile

Apple Purchases AuthenTec for $356 Million: Brings Fingerprint Technology to ... Midsize Insider Although company representatives have yet to make a formal statement about the acquisition, analysts believe that the fingerprint technology will be used in an upcoming iPhone mobile payment service. AuthenTec, a Florida-based company, Fingerprint ... See all stories on this topic »

Elecom's NFC Keyboard For Android Smartphones Is The World's First CrazyEngineers VoiCE When it comes to NFC, mobile payment is what comes to our mind at first. Many of us were expecting a lot from the NFC technology. Implementing it in keyboards always looked like a good choice, because they have a plus point over the classic bluetooth ... See all stories on this topic »

TuneIn closes $16M round, mobile listeners up 267% year-over-year Fiercemobilecontent Google tightens up Android app policies, bans intrusive ads · American Express: We never agreed to add our credit cards to Google Wallet · Rumor Mill: Isis kicking off mobile payment trials this month · Google Wallet expands to the cloud with support for all ... See all stories on this topic »

PayPal wants to be here, there and everywhere VentureBeat I asked Marcus where he thought that mobile payment figure would be in five years. After getting the customary warning from a PayPal PR representative who was sitting with us, advising Marcus not to project numbers, Marcus said that in five years the lines ... See all stories on this topic » VentureBeat

Little guy's win against credit card companies, priceless National Post Small business owners may benefit from mobile payment technology, but it needs to be clear to both merchants and consumers which form of payment is used, and merchants must be able to choose which ones they will accept. The Code of Conduct also ... See all stories on this topic » National Post

Merchant Warehouse Announces RSPA's RetailNOW Contest Winner Equities.com The company also spotlighted their partnership and integrated solution with LevelUp, a loyalty and mobile payment solution. "This year's RSPA RetailNOW show was the perfect venue for the live debut of Merchant Warehouse's newest innovation, Genius," ... See all stories on this topic »

QR codes eliminate the need for exact change for parking QR Code Press According to a press release by Michael Doherty, the managing director of Parkmobile, "Parkmobile is very excited to launch our mobile payment parking service in Burnley." Doherty went on to say that "With this technology, customers no longer have to ... See all stories on this topic » QR Code Press

Smart, Western Union launch remittance service with rewards Philippine Star Funds transferred to Smart Money electronic wallets – which are linked to the account holder's Smart mobile phone – can also be used for mobile payment of utility bills (Meralco, Maynilad, PLDT, etc.), reloading Smart prepaid accounts, and money transfers to ... See all stories on this topic »

Blogs 5 new results for "Mobile Payment"

Protean Payment | EMV will Crash and Burn in the US By Chris Bartenstein Merchants (especially larger merchants) correctly recognize mobile payment as a huge opportunity. Mobile and contactless payment will ultimately edge out magstripe cards, but not on terms that make little sense to merchants and certainly ... Protean Payment

GHANA : MTN Mobile Money record 9.5 million transactions in two ... By Emmanuel Okoegwale The forums was jointly organized by MTN Ghana and Joy FM to find ways of making cashless financial transactions like the use of mobile payment systems, smart cards, direct money transfers, and other e-payment technologies more ... Mobile Money Africa

Holding on to Banking Customers in the Mobile Wallet Age ... By Melody Smith Jones 76% of these consumers are either currently using or intend to use mobile banking and mobile payment services. These consumers can be segmented into two main market groups: Techno Shoppers (27%): Consumers attracted to shopping ... Perficient Financial Services Blog

PayPal shopping experience made easier: Credit card scanning ... By lizhen With the acquisition of the mobile payment start-up Card.io, PayPal has moved forward in improving the shopping experience for consumers and merchants when using the [...] The Wall

Smartphone and Tablet Shopping on the Increase, TV Ads Still Top ... By bizmonthly However, that number is expected to rise as better mobile payment systems come online and consumers get more comfortable with making payments with their phone or tablet. Using your mobile device to research an item before purchasing it ... The Business Monthly

Web 4 new results for "Mobile Payment"

Mobile Payment gateway | LinkedIn Mobile Payment gateway. I m working on an app which includes m-commerce. For this, please suggest a mobile payment gateway for android platform... 6 days ... www.linkedin.com/.../Mobile-Payment-gateway-86481.S.139...

GEMALTO CONSORTIUM TO LAUNCH SINGAPORE MOBILE ... GEMALTO CONSORTIUM TO LAUNCH SINGAPORE MOBILE-PAYMENT SERVICES. Attachment: (The following press release from Infocomm Development ... www.bloomberg.com/article/2012-08.../ahZ2QKzjjqW0.html

Mobile Payment: RP - League of Legends Community I've been having issues with this for a while. I have enough credit for the rp and the texts i need to send back. Basically, i choose how much i want, i get a text, ... euw.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=789209

Partnerships to be Part of Successful Strategy in Mobile Payment ... Market players forge cooperation to accelerate the deployment of m-payment offerings. www.newswiretoday.com/.../Partnerships_to_be_Part_of_Succ...

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