Dear Readers,
I take my hat off to Barclaycard for their April Fools story concerning contactless payment for pets - PayWag. A pet wallet, so to speak. Included with the press release was a smart little video, showing a dog walking around a shopping mall with his owner. Just paying for things, basically. Taking it easy, looking at the latest in squeaky chew toys - you know how it is.
Tammy (a member of the contactless team at Barclaycard) tells us that the system is in pilot phase at the moment and introduces us to a dog called Basil – one of the first dogs who will be testing the payment system. I have to admit, Basil really didn't look all that impressed with being such a trailblazer. More 'what now?', rather than 'up and at 'em'! They should leave the system with dogs, though. Cats are a non-starter for a project like this. A cat wouldn't care less and is more likely to make a break for the border if they know they've got your money. Never let a cat get its paws on your credit card - they have no fiscal sense and can't be trusted. But that's cats for you. Check out the video here: http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1Eu
After writing the last couple of paragraphs I suddenly had this feeling of dread. It was an April Fools joke, wasn't it? I mean - just how desperate do you have to be to want the contactless revolution to take off before even the most preposterous and crap ideas stop sounding preposterous and crap and start sounding 'creative' and 'innovative'? Have we reached that point yet?
Anyway, in the 'real' world, and staying with Barclaycard, the company promoted its contactless payments being accepted on London buses with a secret gig from rapper Professor Green. Research has revealed that the proportion of people using contactless cards in London has doubled in three months to 25%. Of the 80% of people that are aware of the cards, 42% have them and only a quarter have used them. ICM Research first conducted the study in November 2012 and repeated it last month. The results show that 12% of all respondents now use the cards compared to 8% in November. Of those that use the cards, 9% make contactless payments every day, compared to 5% last November, and 28% use them most days, compared to 12% in November. So it looks as though London is moving in the right direction.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is stating that retailers should be given the right to refuse mobile transactions. The CFIB believe that the next stage of payment evolution would be nothing more than a 'fee palooza" for banks, credit-card companies, payment processors and and wireless carriers. Citing a "breakdown of trust" between small businesses and the payments industry stemming from the introduction of premium credit cards that slap merchants with higher processing fees, CFIB is pushing for 'amendments to the federal code of conduct governing payments to give retailers a choice to refuse mobile-based transactions'.
This is in spite of news that the Canadian market for mobile and contactless payments has great growth potential and is currently 'unsaturated'. Industry researchers estimated that currently just 13-15% smartphone users in Canada use their handsets for making payments.The first credit card-based mobile payment system in Canada was established in 2012 by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Rogers Communications Inc., the country's largest wireless and cable operator. Last week, Canada's first-ever mobile-based debit card transaction was introduced by debit card service provider Interac Association in collaboration with Royal Bank of Canada and payment processor Moneris Solutions Corp. This transaction was completed through a BlackBerry (as you would expect). Interac stated that the main reason for introducing debit-card mobile-payment system is that Canadians use debit-card the most for executing financial transactions.
It will be interesting to see if this kind of resistance from smaller retailers will take hold over in Europe, should any 'extra' fees be levied against mobile payments.
Talking of leading a growing market, I am going to use my final paragraph to remind those finalists in this year's Contactless and Mobile Awards (sponsored by Visa Europe) that the Industry Choice Award is now open for vote http://wp.me/P1Jrjn-1Gk.
All category finalists are included and the rules are very, very simple. You get as many people to go to the award page on our site and vote. It doesn't matter who they are: you, your colleges, your boss, even your mother! The winner will be the company who gets the greatest number of people to vote for them. Voting has now started and will end at midnight on the 19th April. The only thing to remember is one person - one vote. I can't wait! Go to our voting page http://wp.me/P1Jrjn-1Gk and make your choice - there is no registering, we don't need to know your name, email - none of that rubbish! You don't even have to be associated with any of the companies in the competition - you could vote just to express your support! So please, vote, get everyone else to vote and let's see who the winner of the inaugural CMA Industry Choice will be!
Thanks.
Regards,
Steve Atkins
Contactless Intelligence
This week on C-ITV
Introducing the 2013 CMA Finalists: Competitive Advantage http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1Ep
Introducing the 2013 CMA Finalists: Mobile Payments http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1F0
Introducing the 2013 CMA Finalists: Transportation & Ticketing http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1EA
Introducing the 2013 CMA Finalists: Innovation http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1Ge
PayWag for dogs from Barclaycard - but is it real? http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1Eu
Wheels in motion on contactless bus payments says Barclaycard http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1BF
O2 in Germany looks to G&D for wallet payment security http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1BR
GURU POST: Evolution of the NFC Ecosystem & NFC Vision http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1Fk
KFC, Airtag to launch mobile ordering and payment app in UK http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1FY
From Russia with MIFARE Plus http://wp.me/p1Jrjn-1FU
Payments & m-Commerce
Vodafone staff helping to build mobile wallet http://bit.ly/10hTRip
Mobile payments: The customer is king http://bit.ly/10hTvZ5
Global Payments confirms support for V.me by Visa http://bit.ly/10hSRel
Scentsy and PayAnywhere Smell Success http://bit.ly/10cKcd7
Will Professor Green help contactless go mainstream? http://bit.ly/10cK8Ke
Mobivity, CheckAlt merge payments, marketing for local merchants http://bit.ly/X37y5R
Stripe partners with Parse on mobile payments for app developers http://bit.ly/X37uTv
Canadian FIB says retailers should be given right to refuse mobile transactions. http://bit.ly/X37enF
Mastercard's goes digital with e-wallet 'Masterpass' http://bit.ly/X37SS3
Coca-Cola Seeks to Increase Use of Mobile Phones for Payments and Rewards at Vending Machines http://bit.ly/X37PFQ
New iPhone Security Exploits Undermine Trust In Apple's Mobile Payment Ambitions http://onforb.es/X37HWR
G&D and PayPal Enable Top-Ups of Prepaid Accounts in Brazil http://bit.ly/15PyuVT
Italian banks commence roll out of MyBank payment scheme http://bit.ly/15PzkCh
Mobile Wallets Facing Hurdles To Broader Adoption http://bit.ly/14uBjzI
Square mobile payments losing steam at Starbucks http://bit.ly/14uBfjI
More banks join mobile transfer platforms http://bit.ly/14uB6wx
Investors in India dial up mobile payments http://bit.ly/101l1dk
Canadian M-Payment Market Thriving - Analyst Blog http://bit.ly/101kPLb
Visa hopes for payWave success in PHL http://bit.ly/14uBr2a
April Fool? Barking innovation set to change the nation’s shopping habits http://bit.ly/101n4OD
Tap-and-go Mobile Payment: What’s the hang-up? http://bit.ly/17bfUuX
Point-of-Sale flexibility is key: Mobile payment in the world of retail http://bit.ly/10uCUA4
Global Payments strengthens UK mobile payments offering #intuit http://bit.ly/XpnRLg
Philippines: BPI Globe BanKO, Dorelco team up for mobile-payment facility http://bit.ly/XpnLDq
Forrester: PayPal Google Wallet Contribute to Digital Payment Evolution http://bit.ly/XpnEYH
NFC & Mobile
NFC technology based keys can be securely shared http://bit.ly/X37CT5
InfoChip adds Sniper device for reading tiny tags with NFC phones http://bit.ly/101LJRW
FRANCE: Metz gets NFC parking http://bit.ly/14uBlaU
Harvard Medical School develops NFC medication tracking system http://bit.ly/10hTHaY
Transportation, Ticketing, Access, Security & Loyalty
Singaporean Telco to Launch NFC Movie Ticketing, Though Wallet Off to Slow Start http://bit.ly/10hTLaJ
Making contact in London http://bit.ly/10cKuQZ
MTS launches NFC transport tickets in Novosibirsk http://bit.ly/10cKm3X
Film festival says it’s showtime with NFC posters http://bit.ly/15PykxU
No new problems with Presto, says OC Transpo GM http://bit.ly/15PzcCB
Three launches NFC marketing campaign in Stockholm subway carriage http://bit.ly/15PyTHX
Universal Music launches NFC poster campaign in Paris http://bit.ly/15PyAgf
Domino’s Pizza launches NFC offers in the UK http://bit.ly/14uB5sl
Other News & Opinion Articles
Fear and Loathing with the Digital Wallet http://bit.ly/10cKAIv
JWT Vietnam wins MoMo, Vietnam's first mobile money service http://bit.ly/10cKY9Z
Can VeriFone Systems Achieve Organic Growth Amid Rising Competition? http://bit.ly/10hSKPO
‘Nigeria Can Surpass Kenya’s Success in Mobile Money’ http://bit.ly/10hSAbb
Nigeria: 'E-Wallet Scheme Saved FG N29.7 Billion in 2012' http://bit.ly/10hSuQZ
NBS Technologies Announces Another Sale of Xpressi Trusted Service Manager http://bit.ly/10hSm3W
Open Source Mobile Payment Innovation in the Middle East Generates Arabic Language Interface on the Fly http://bit.ly/10hTPXN
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