Isis’ NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)

Isis' NFC mobile payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City 3 carriers, 9 devices, 1 long way to go

To say that the launch of Isis has felt drawn out would be a mild understatement. The alliance first signaled its intentions two years ago, detailed its first markets one year ago and faced a last-minute delay. All the ducks are finally in a row, however, and residents of both Austin as well as Salt Lake City can tap to pay (or score discounts) at the "hundreds" of locations that accept NFC-based purchases through American Express, Capital One, Chase and Isis' own cash card. Launch day brings app- and SIM-enabled access for nine devices spread rather unevenly across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon: only the Droid Incredible 4G LTE is confirmed working for Verizon subscribers, while the rest are divided more equally between multiple Samsung Galaxies and HTC devices like the Amaze 4G and One X. Over 20 phones should be Isis-aware before the end of the year. It's a potentially strong start to one of the few truly cross-network mobile payment systems in the US, but we see a long road ahead before Isis gives Google Wallet some jitters -- there's legions of banks, cities and stores needed before Isis is widespread, and we're not counting on that ever-elusive universal hardware support.

Continue reading Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video)

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Isis' NFC payments go live in Austin and Salt Lake City: 3 carriers, 9 phones, 1 long way to go (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC

ExNokia Money team kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC

It's a big day for mobile payments. Multiple former Nokia Money veterans have formally launched iKaaz, a two-pronged strategy to phone commece where choice is the order of the day. The first components, M-POS and its accompanying Tap & Pay, are rough equivalents to familiar NFC-based services like Google Wallet that rely on an NFC tag and matching app for in-store sales. A Consumer Wallet for Enterprises occupies more familiar territory for the ex-Nokia crew: it provides a mobile account that doesn't require NFC or even an app, letting those in developing countries exchange funds through SMS or USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) if they're sporting basic handsets. Us end users will need to wait for actual implementations before we see iKaaz for ourselves, but the sheer flexibility could have us paying through our phones in some unexpected places.

Continue reading Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC

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Former Nokia Money crew kicks off iKaaz mobile payments, lets shops go with or without NFC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isis mobile payment system primed for September launch, supported devices revealed

Isis mobile payment system primed for September launch in Austin and Salt Lake City

You've known it was coming, but Isis has been so quiet on the mobile payments front in the past few months that you might've forgotten the score. Now, the joint venture backed by AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon has announced that it'll debut its system in Austin and Salt Lake City next month. At least part of the delay is attributed to its shift in strategy, when Isis shelved its plans to process payments through the carriers themselves and instead work with MasterCard and Visa. Isis representatives have declined to elaborate on future expansion plans.

Coinciding with the recent update that enabled Isis support for T-Mobile's Galaxy S II, MasterCard has come clean with a list of devices that'll receive similar treatment. Specifically, those in the US can expect the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, One X, Amaze 4G, Galaxy S III to gain Isis support. Naturally, the possibility remains open for other devices as well, and if you'd like to see the complete list of candidates, make sure to check out the PDF below.

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Isis mobile payment system primed for September launch, supported devices revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft brings NFC payments and loyalty cards to Windows Phone 8

Well it looks like Google Wallet and Apple's Passbook have some new competition. Today at the Windows Phone Developer Summit, Microsoft shared its plans to bring NFC payments and loyalty cards to Windows Phone 8 with its very own mobile wallet feature. It's promising that it will be the "most complete wallet experience" on any phone. That of course includes support for tap-to-pay, the ability to link credit and debit cards, integration with third-party apps and, more uniquely, secure elements on the SIM card rather than the phone itself. You'll also have a PIN code option to protect all purchases on the phone.

As for partners, Orange France is the only one that Microsoft has announced today, but it says that it expects to have a "good solution" with the US carrier-backed Isis initiative sometime next year (though not in time for launch). What's more, the wallet will come loaded on every Windows Phone 8 device, regardless of whether the carrier supports the SIM-based security, which will let folks use at least some of the features.

Check out the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows Phone event in our liveblog!

Microsoft brings NFC payments and loyalty cards to Windows Phone 8 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 12:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leaked Sprint slides reveal Touch Wallet NFC app, Google Wallet eyes the door

Sprint slides reveal Touch Wallet NFC app

Sprint is reportedly developing its own wallet app to rival that of Google Wallet, slides leaked to Android Central reveal. Entering a four-digit code opens your handset to make payments, while tapping an NFC reader will let you directly access your credit cards. Loyalty options are also included, with logos for Starbucks, Macy's and Barnes & Noble amongst others on the slides -- although it's unclear if there's an official partnership or we're looking at placeholder images. Given that Sprint is the only carrier that uses Mountain View's digital payments system, we can't see the move going down well the next time the pair go out for dinner.

Continue reading Leaked Sprint slides reveal Touch Wallet NFC app, Google Wallet eyes the door

Leaked Sprint slides reveal Touch Wallet NFC app, Google Wallet eyes the door originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jun 2012 06:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

The hubbub of carriers eager to sell Samsung's latest beauty ain't stopping. This time, it's Sprint's turn, announcing that its version of the NFC-capable, 4G-connectable Galaxy S III will arrive Google Wallet-friendly and ready for your retail therapy starting June 21st. Two-year contracts are priced at $200 for the 16GB version and $250 for the 32GB option, although the latter will be web-exclusive. Pre-orders will start from June 5th -- in both Pebble Blue and Marble White options. Sprint gives you the hard sell right after the break.

Continue reading Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21

Sprint Galaxy S III arrives with Google Wallet on June 21 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isis partners with Austin and Salt Lake City merchants, throws John Stockton elbow at Google Wallet

Isis partners with Austin and Salt Lake City merchants, throws John Stockton elbow at Google Wallet

Mobile payment system Isis continues to rack up passengers on its merry bandwagon, gaining support from local merchants in two cities for its NFC wallet service. The carrier-based program announced that hundreds of merchant locations in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah are entering the Isis fold -- joining national entities such as Coca-Cola and Macy's in its initial list of partners. The selection of participating local businesses runs the gamut from cafes and restaurants to a country club and the Utah Jazz. The platform has already corralled support from handset makers, point-of-sale terminal purveyors and credit card companies such as American Express. Expect some Mortal Kombat action for your mobile purse strings between Google Wallet and Isis once the latter launches this summer. In the meantime, check out the obligatory PR after the break.

Continue reading Isis partners with Austin and Salt Lake City merchants, throws John Stockton elbow at Google Wallet

Isis partners with Austin and Salt Lake City merchants, throws John Stockton elbow at Google Wallet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 May 2012 22:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards

The carrier-backed Isis mobile payment service added a batch of new financial partners earlier this year, and it's now back with another fairly big addition. The venture announced today that it has brought American Express' various credit card offerings into the fold (including the company's own mobile-linked Serve cards), which will let users of those cards load them into the Isis app and make payments with their NFC-equipped smartphone -- when the service begins its rollout this summer, that is. As you may recall, American Express itself had already signed on as an Isis partner last year, but this is the first time that the company has committed to tying its cards to the platform -- which is a rather important little detail.

Continue reading Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards

Isis bolsters its mobile wallet with American Express cards originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 00:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iCache Geode digital wallet hands-on (video)

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The iCache Geode was easily the most impressive use of technology that we saw during CTIA 2012. It's the epitome of how a fantastic tech idea can be translated to real world use in a very classy and clever way. At its heart it is extremely simple: take all your existing credit, debit, and loyalty cards, save them in a secure way and be able to use any of them without actually having the original cards handy. The system is comprised of a housing for the iPhone coupled with an app, an E Ink display on the rear, a fingerprint scanner, the GeoCard, and a magnetic stripe reader that is capable of quickly reading in your card details and saving them. Using the Geode is a two-step process, scan all your cards into the device with an included scanner attachment, then using the iPhone app select your method of payment and the GeoCard in the housing is instantly programmed. Pop the card out, tap it on a solid surface to activate it and spend your money. Loyalty cards are equally easy to use: select one of them in the app and its barcode is written to the E Ink display on the Geode's rear surface.

Of course iCache has considered the security implications and has addressed them a few different ways. The iPhone doesn't store any of your card details as they're kept in the housing itself, on launch the app does a hardware check to be sure nothing's been tampered with, asks for a fingerprint scan, and the card programming only lasts for a user-defined period of time after you've tapped it on the table. Click on through for a video demo of the whole ride.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.

Continue reading iCache Geode digital wallet hands-on (video)

iCache Geode digital wallet hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 13:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

A joint venture of Canadian carriers Rogers, Bell and Telus called EnStream is in final talks with the country's leading banks (likely CIBC, TD, RBC, Scotiabank and BMO) to bring a mobile wallet solution to the Great White North within six months. The system, which was demoed at the CWTA Wireless Showcase last September, enables mobile payments by storing a user's financial credentials on the SIM located inside their NFC-capable phone. It aims to replace credit and debit cards at first -- perhaps even driver's licenses and loyalty programs down the road. Carriers plan to charge banks a flat rate instead of a per-transaction fee.

According to Almis Ledas, EnStream's COO, "banking machines will become the payphones of the future". While we command this attempt to standardize mobile payments in Canada, the time frame seems rather optimistic in light of the slow progress AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have made with Isis in the US so far. Different countries, different rules of course -- still, we think it's going to take quite a while to make loonies obsolete. Maybe this is the perfect window of opportunity for Google Wallet and Square to jump across the border, eh? Time will tell. Check out EnStream's mobile wallet in action on video after the break.

Continue reading EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video)

EnStream to bring mobile wallet to Canadians, make loonies obsolete (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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