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Google is preparing to bring payment support to its stagnating Android Wear platform, according to data mined by Android Police in Play Services 10. In the data, text strings including "Try holding...

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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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Many of us are expected to utilise our wearables for payments by 2018, if projections by Juniper Research are correct. The research firm expects contactless payments through wearable devices to reach $95 billion annually by 2018, up from less than $35 billion last year.  

Apple’s entry into NFC gave the industry a much needed boost, and could well be seen as...

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With the innovation of wearable technology facilitating the collection of in-depth personal data such as calorie intake, heart rate, exercise levels and location, now is the time for businesses to analyse how this data can be utilised in the creation of more sophisticated and personalised marketing strategies.

First and foremost, marketers should focus on the potential of wearable technology in creating ‘hyper-convenience’ for the consumer. Streamlining the customer journey...

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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...