All articles tagged with #contactless payments
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will begin rolling out a new contactless fare collection system this summer after years of delays and budget increases. The Automated Fare Collection 2.0 system will allow payments via credit card or mobile wallets on bus and subway lines, with further expansions planned for 2025 and 2026. The project, initially estimated at $753 million, has seen costs rise to $926 million.
Google's second developer preview for Android 15 introduces support for satellite connectivity, improvements to contactless payments, multi-language recognition, volume consistency, and interaction with PDFs via apps. The preview also addresses nuisances and security concerns, including making apps more aware of satellite connectivity and introducing support for preloaded RCS applications to use satellite connectivity for messaging. Other updates include screen recording detection, improvements to contactless payments and multi-language audio recognition, enhanced support for small cover screens on flip phones, and substantial improvements to PDF features in apps.
Apple has launched a new advertising campaign called "Pay the Apple Way" to promote its Apple Pay payment method. The campaign showcases the ease and convenience of using an iPhone or Apple Watch for contactless payments, emphasizing the simplicity, speed, and security of Apple Pay. The ads are being displayed on billboards in the US and UK, and will also be featured on social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. Apple Pay is widely accepted by retailers in the US and is one of the most popular contactless payment methods.
The NFC Forum plans to increase the transmission range of NFC connections by up to sixfold and increase the power capacity of NFC wireless charging from 1W to 3W. These improvements are expected to make NFC payments and wireless charging faster and easier. The NFC Forum also plans to enable a single tap to support several actions and equip NFC-capable smartphones with Point-of-Sale functionality and the ability to share data required for sustainability. The roadmap is designed to come into fruition through 2028, but it may take more time for all of these initiatives to become widely available to consumers.
Google Wallet has replaced Google Pay and now offers new features such as the ability to store health insurance cards, IDs, and digital car keys. Users can also take a photo of any card or pass with a barcode or QR code and save it to their Google Wallet. The app also allows users to save tickets and boarding passes directly from their Messages app. Google Wallet uses encrypted payment codes to conceal genuine card numbers, ensuring the safety of payment details.