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November 26, 2018
On the web
Bank Indonesia to issue cross-border QR code payment regulation
The Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
“Bank Indonesia is preparing a cross-border regulation on QR code transactions that is expected to come into effect early next year. “The cross-border regulation is for regulating QR code transactions in rupiah made by foreign players,” a BI source said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Sunday. The unnamed source said the regulation would facilitate domestic financial institutions to cooperate easily with foreign platforms like WeChat and Alipay that offer QR code payment options.”
November 16, 2018
On the web
Hong Kong is adding QR code payments to its subway stations
TechCrunch
“A new dispatch from our ‘QR Codes Are Very Much Alive In Asia’ reporting program: Hong Kong’s subway system will soon allow its commuters to pay by scanning QR codes thanks to a deal with Alibaba that was announced this week.”
October 23, 2018
On the web
Feedback LATESTGlobalPlatform reports growth in secure element shipments Alipay demonstrates offline QR payments for public transport fares
NFC World
“The company’s EasyGo service supports ‘dual offline’ payment functionality to allow payments to be completed even if network quality is poor, reports ComputerWorld HK, with payments taking an average of 0.3 seconds to complete.”
October 8, 2018
On the wires
CIMB is first in Malaysia to bring QR acceptance from six mobile wallets on one payment terminal
“CIMB Bank Berhad (“CIMB Bank”) has introduced Quick Response (QR) Payment Acceptance at CIMB terminals, a first- in-the market QR payment acceptance to accept Six major mobile wallets on one terminal. The six mobile wallet partners to be accepted on CIMB terminal are Alipay, Touch & Go Digital, Boost, KiplePay, Mcash, and Vcash. These six mobile wallets have a combined estimated customer base of about 4.5 million in Malaysia and 520 million registered mainland Chinese users.”
October 3, 2018
On the wires
Singtel and AIS debut VIA, Asia’s first cross-border mobile payment alliance
“The Singtel Group today launched VIA, its cross-border mobile payment alliance, with its regional associate AIS and Kasikornbank, Thailand’s largest digital bank. Singtel, AIS will now offer QR code-based mobile payments through mobile wallets, Singtel Dash, AIS GLOBAL Pay and Rabbit Line Pay, across both Singapore and Thailand. These can be used at all merchants displaying the VIA brand and over 1.6 million Kasikornbank merchants displaying the Thai QR code.”
October 2, 2018
On the web
The QR Code Resurgence: How Street Vendors in Asia Lead the Digital Payment Revolution
FIS payments blog
“Although Asian markets had much higher usage rates of cash than Europe and the United States, where debit and credit cards are more common, the move to mobile payments has been much faster in the East. This is partly due to more legacy infrastructure in the West, as well as old payment mechanisms, such as checks, which haven’t been retired even as new options moved to the front.”
September 26, 2018
On the web
Tencent’s WeChat Pay to allow Hong Kong users to pay for purchases on the mainland
South China Morning News
“Tencent Holdings, which operates the Hong Kong version of WeChat Pay, will partner China UnionPay and its subsidiary UnionPay International to let users settle the bill for their purchases on the mainland in Hong Kong dollars, starting from October, according to a statement from the company.”
September 25, 2018
On the web
Chinese payment giants are light years ahead
Raconteur
“China’s two mobile payments giants, Alipay, an affiliate of the Chinese ecommerce group Alibaba, and WeChat Pay, owned by the messaging and social media powerhouse Tencent, are streets ahead of their Western rivals in terms of technology, user friendliness, number of users and ubiquity. To put their scale into perspective, each organisation handled more payments in a single month this year than PayPal’s $451 billion for the whole of 2017, according to research firm Analysys.”
September 18, 2018
On the web
SG govt pushes for mobile payments with unified QR code
Marketing Magazine
“The government of Singapore has launched the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR) which combines multiple payment QR codes into a single SGQR label, making QR code-based mobile payments simple for both consumers and merchants. The SGQR was developed by an industry task force co-led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). It will be adopted by 27 payment schemes including PayNow, NETS, GrabPay, Liquid Pay and Singtel DASH and will be deployed progressively over the next six months.”
September 12, 2018
On the web
Singapore payments vendor takes app global with UnionPay partnership
ZDNet
“Network for Electronic Transfers of Singapore (Nets) has inked an agreement to enable consumers to pay for purchases overseas, using its NetsPay app, at merchants that support UnionPay’s QR code platform. The mobile app had been updated with a new wallet function that would allow consumers to scan a QR code to process their transactions at more than 7.5 million participant UnionPay merchants worldwide.”
August 31, 2018
Top Post
India Post Payments Bank to scrap debit cards, use QR codes
Times of India
“The absence of ATMs or debit cards will reduce costs for the bank and enable it to provide zero-balance accounts economically. However, the dependence on biometric authentication, which does away with PIN will make the bank heavily dependent on the Aadhaar system.”
August 21, 2018
On the web
Japan to promote e-payment with subsidies and tax breaks
Nikkei Asian Review
“Japan lags behind such countries as South Korea, China and the U.S. in embracing cashless payment, frustrating many visitors from abroad. It seeks to make cashless options widely available ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The government intends to draw up a plan by year-end to standardize payment methods using QR codes. Businesses that provide settlement infrastructure in line with the plan would be eligible for subsidies. Relevant ministries will request necessary funding under the fiscal 2019 draft budget.”
August 1, 2018
On the wires
Mastercard And Entersekt Enable All-In-One, Scan-To-Pay Feature In Nedbank App
Mastercard
“Mastercard and Entersekt have collaborated to enable Nedbank’s customers to make QR payments to Masterpass, Pay@, SnapScan, and Zapper merchants and billers through the Nedbank Money app, whether they are paying online or at a physical point of presence. This market-first development means that Nedbank Money users need just one smartphone app for all major domestic scan-to-pay services, representing a combined footprint of more than 100,000 retail points of presence and 800 billers.”
July 30, 2018
On the web
Amazon And SoftBank Vie To Take Japan Cashless
Nikkei Asian Review
“The platforms offered by the U.S. online retail giant and the Japanese tech and investment powerhouse will require minimal investment by merchants. That approach is friendly to smaller businesses — a group that is estimated to account for about 90% of Japan’s shops — for whom obtaining specialized equipment is a heavy burden. Through local arm Amazon Japan, the American company will introduce its Amazon Pay service to let Japanese brick-and-mortar shoppers use credit cards linked to their account with the retail site. Checkout staff will scan QR codes on customers’ smartphones using tablets, eliminating the need to handle credit cards or for customers to provide a signature.”
July 27, 2018
On the web
Chat App Line Plots Finance ‘Revolution’ With Mobile Payments
Nikkei Asian Review
“In a strategy also geared to take on competitors like China’s Alipay, the company outlined on June 28 a three-year plan for a “payment revolution” using its Line Pay mobile transaction service, which lets users send one another money free of charge by smartphone anytime and anywhere. Line is rolling out a version of its app that will let small and midsize merchants accept QR-code-based payments via Line Pay. Transaction surcharges will be waived for the first three years, and the system costs nothing to set up.”
July 16, 2018
On the web
Tier II And Tier III Cities Are Leading The Wave Of Digital Payments Adoption
Paytm
“We have been able to create a network effect among our consumers and merchants. Given the multiple use cases, consumers prefer paying through Paytm, while the merchants accepting Paytm are seeing increased business and are also being able to pay digitally across their supply chain. We are powering the largest offline payments network with over 8 Million offline merchant partners who accept payments via the Paytm QR. We have a 3x larger merchant base compared to any card payments network in the country.”
July 13, 2018
On the web
Seoul To Launch To Its Own Mobile Payment Platform: Report
ZD Net
“The municipal government has formed a task force that will work to launch the service, tentatively called S-Pay, which aims to improve payment convenience for citizens and small businesses. The task force will aim to build the system for the platform and cooperate with banks as well as find partnered small businesses. The platform will use a mobile app or QR codes. The aim is to lessen commissions paid by businesses when they use credit cards. S-Pay’s system won’t go through credit card companies’ systems.”
June 28, 2018
On the web
UnionPay QR Code Payment Debuts In North America
Finextra
“Based on its expanding acceptance network, UnionPay International is expediting rolling out mobile payment services such as UnionPay mobile QuickPass and QR code payment to expand the usage channels of the “UnionPay” app. So far, about 80,000 POS terminals in the US accept UnionPay mobile QuickPass, and this figure is expected to grow to 250,000 within this year. There are also thousands of daily consumer merchants in Canada that have accepted UnionPay mobile QuickPass. After the launch of UnionPay QR code payment this time, users of the “UnionPay” app can conveniently scan and pay at the Foodymart stores in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as at restaurants such as Hai Di Lao Hot Pot in San Francisco.”
June 21, 2018
On the wires
UnionPay International Launches Its Biggest-scale Summer Marketing Campaign
PR Newswire
“Users of the “UnionPay” app can enjoy UnionPay mobile payment services in 26 countries and regions outside mainland China. These services include QR code payment and UnionPay’s contactless feature mobile QuickPass. With the “UnionPay” app, tourists can also enjoy the unique offers for UnionPay mobile payments, download u-plan e-coupons, and check about UnionPay’s card-using benefits and services worldwide.”
May 23, 2018
On the web
Megabanks Agree To Unify Standards For QR Codes
The Japan News
“As part of efforts to encourage the use of cashless payments for goods and services, the three megabanks have agreed to unify their standards for QR codes, which customers can use to make payments without cash through their smartphones. Their aim is to reduce the costs associated with handling cash, and increase convenience.”
May 4, 2018
On the web
Chinese e-wallets a ‘no-brainer’ for B.C.
Business Vancouver
“However, unlike the mobile wallet more familiar to Vancouverites, Apple Pay, the Chinese alternatives do not limit transactions to $100 as Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) does in Canada. A customer could make a $5,000 purchase, in theory, if his or her credit card allows it.”
April 10, 2018
On the web
Spar Netherlands opens first cashless store
Retail Systems
“Called ‘Skippen’, or Skipping in English, the new concept enables students who download the accompanying app to purchase goods in-store without having to queue for a cash register. Shoppers simply scan items into their shopping cart via a QR code, before completing the payment with Tikkie – ABN AMRO’s online payment solution. “
April 6, 2018
On the web
Amex Pay Mobile Payments Solution Launched in India: How to Use
NDTV
“To register for Amex Pay, log into your American Express account on the Amex Mobile app on Android or iOS. Next, select Register with Amex Pay, provide the required permissions, and enter the One Time Password (OTP) to complete the verification. To make QR-based payments, click on Pay with Bharat QR, scan the relevant code, enter and confirm the amount, and enter the card’s PIN to complete the transaction.”
April 4, 2018
On the web
China caps store mobile payments at $80
Nikkei Asian Review
“For payments made by scanning a printed QR code displayed by the seller, the daily limit is set at 500 yuan (about $80). These are considered riskier than other QR code payments because the codes could be tampered with and money sent to fraudulent accounts. Such popular services as Alibaba Group Holding‘s Alipay and Tencent Holdings‘ WeChat Pay are affected.”
March 28, 2018
On the web
WhatsApp beta for Android gets QR code support for payments
Techradar
“With competing digital payments services regularly adding new features to their apps, WhatsApp has seemingly decided to continue to roll out new features for its users too. The latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android has added a new feature that lets users send money by scanning QR codes.”
March 27, 2018
Top Post
Alipay tempts Europe’s retailers with Chinese tourists’ massive spending power
Quartz
“A survey by Nielsen and Alipay (pdf) suggests that Chinese tourists are bothered by unfamiliar payment methods while abroad. After all, in mainland China today, almost no one pays for a meal, taxi, or new clothes with cash, or even a bank card. It’s all done through the camera lens of a smartphone, through Alipay or the rival payment service from Tencent.”
On the web
Replacing NFC? – Pay Beijing Metro Fares With Mobile Phone QR Codes Beginning in May
The Beijinger
“The new feature is not related to last year’s feature that allowed Beijing commuters to enter city subways using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which is based upon interior hardware and not a scannable code connected with a mobile wallet. Unlike the old technology that limited its use to some 160 Android phones, the new system accepts any phone that is connected to an electronic payment system.”
March 26, 2018
On the web
WhatsApp Payments gets a new feature: Now scan QR code to send money
India Express
“WhatsApp Payments feature will now support the option of scanning a QR code in order to make a payment via the app. Earlier this month, WhatsApp had added the option of making payments to any UPI ID via the feature on both iOS and Android versions of the app. These features were not part of WhatsApp Payments on Android or iOS when it was launched, and other players in the market had raised questions about the interoperability of UPI Payments on WhatsApp. The Facebook-owned messaging app had then clarified that Payments was only in beta-testing and limited to under a million users.”
March 15, 2018
On the web
Turkey’s BKM unveils checkout-free payments
Finextra
“Installed at a music and bookstore in Istanbul, the system requires a shopper to use a POS device to scan the barcodes on items they are buying. A QR code then appears on the POS screen, which the shopper scans with the BKM Express app on their phone before getting a notification of the transaction.”
March 7, 2018
On the web
After China lift off, QR codes are changing the payments game in India
Factor Daily
“The simple quick response, or QR code, once relegated to the sidelines, is back with a bang. “At one point, even I wasn’t sure. But it’s everywhere now,” says Pratyush Prasanna, head of products at Poynt, a company selling smart point of sale (PoS) devices. QR codes are machine-readable labels that can carry different kinds of information ranging from product information to account details to virtually anything. Think of QR codes as super barcodes – they can be read 10 times faster than barcodes and are rapidly gaining custom in an era of smartphones.”
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