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Digital security provider Gemalto has announced the launch of contactless EMV cards, alongside other wearable payment options, in the US.

Contactless cards are already available in the US and can be used anywhere via mobile payment options such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay. Gemalto – which is already a well-established firm dealing in digital security, smart cards and tokens – has delivered more than one billion contactless cards globally during the past five...

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International digital security provider Gemalto has collaborated with Rio de Janeiro’s public transportation ticketing operator RioCard to implement contactless transport ticket wristbands in Brazil’s second largest city. The application of this contactless payment solution will make it easier for users to make secure payments, and will benefit them in various modes of transportation such as, bus, ferry, subway and train.

Gemalto will provide RioCard with its waterproof...

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According to a report by MarketResearchReports.Biz, even though China is the most immediately attractive market for wearables due its proportion of potential early adopters, the wearable payments market is yet to kick into gear as most players are still zoning in on form factor and functionality.

Though Apple is the early mover with its Apple Watch that features payments capability, it is too early to ascertain which players will dominate the market as the space is set to attract a lot of...

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By the middle of 2017, China’s central bank regulation will ensure that all payment terminals will feature contactless payment. In anticipation of this development, Oberthur Technologies (OT) is collaborating with Mobvoi and China Union Pay to launch an Android smart watch that will facilitate contactless payment in China secured by OT’s embedded Secure Element.

As of September 2015, Mobvoi’s Ticwatch is the best-selling Android smart watch in China following its...

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Fitbit, the leading wearable vendor according to recent IDC figures, has announced the acquisition of wearable payment assets from financial technology provider Coin.

The firm has no plan to incorporate the technology into Fitbit’s current product roadmap, however according to a press release it “accelerates [the] ability to develop an active NFC payment solution that could be embedded into future Fitbit devices.”

“We are focused on making wearable devices...

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MasterCard and Coin have announced a partnership to add MasterCard payments to a number of smartwatches, fitness bands and wearable devices.

The collaboration adds on to an announcement by MasterCard in October 2015 that introduced the Commerce for Every Device programme. This programme aims at enabling payments via any consumer gadget, wearable or accessory.

Under the partnership, Coin will provide the software and hardware to be integrated with the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service...

Picture credit: "MasterCard credit card", by "Hakan Dahlstrom", used under CC BY / Modified from original

It goes without saying that the Internet of Things is set to revolutionise the manner in which consumers interact and transact; now, MasterCard is now looking to make its mark in the IoT with a new program that is set to facilitate payments from consumer-owned connected...

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Earlier in the week I posted my concern at the lack of Android Wear devices which could support mobile payments in the future – due to a lack of NFC – leaving an open goal for the Apple Watch and Samsung's upcoming Tizen-based Gear S2 smartwatch. 

One manufacturer which has been completely absent from the smartwatch race thus far is HTC; despite being named as an OEM for...

Picture credit: Barclays

When ApplePay arrived on the scene – expected to hit the UK in July – offering users the comfort of using their iPhone 6 and Apple Watch to pay in shops and apps, it appeared a straightforward partnership opportunity for banks.

Barclays, however, is going down a different route, and is launching three “wearable” devices that can be used to make payments at 300,000 locations across the UK; a wristband, a fob, and a sticker. The bPay wristband was originally...

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Marketers and retailers beware: advertising and m-commerce on wearable devices is on its way, and consumers are looking to embrace this next step.

According to survey data from e-commerce provider Avangate released earlier this week, 64% of the 1000 consumers questioned said they were willing to make a purchase on a wearable device. Take into account the figures...

With wearables emerging as the top trend at CES 2014 and Google Glass being voted this year’s most innovative product in digital retail, it is hard to imagine that not so long ago, you may have been laughed at if you talked about technology devices that you could wear on your body.

While fitness devices make up the vast majority of the market at the moment. Devices are moving from niche applications and early adopters into much more mainstream products. Google Glass which was available only to a limited...