Apple has been sending mixed signals as to whether or not it will bring NFC to the iPhone for mobile payments, but iCache clearly isn't waiting for the technology to show its face -- the company just started shipping its Geode e-wallet. As we saw just a few weeks ago, the Geode simply rolls existing credit and debit cards into a proxy GeoCard that's scanned at the store to handle transactions. Although it demands a specially-made case with an e-paper screen and fingerprint reader, not to mention an app to manage the attached cards, the choice lets an iPhone owner buy goods at all the usual places instead of having to hunt down special terminals. We like the one-card universe it creates, although it's clear the shopper has to carry a lot of the responsibility for making this digital payment dream a reality: at $200 a pop, the Geode's wallet-slimming effect carries a premium, especially since it won't work with anything besides an iPhone 4 or 4S.

iCache Geode claims title of first shipping iPhone e-wallet, asks 'who needs NFC?' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PayPal's mobile payments have been on a whirlwind American tour this year, but they haven't had a chance to cross the border so far. Someone must have finally stamped the company's passport, since it's now an option for UK residents to pay using the InStore app for Android or iOS. A trio of fashion outlets -- Coast, Oasis and Warehouse -- can soon scan an on-screen barcode to take payment for that posh new shirt instead of requiring ye olde wallet. As it is in the US, there's no need for any NFC magic or even an Internet connection to clinch the deal, and there's still the same access to discounts and refunds as for paper- and plastic-wielding buyers. A total of 230 shops will take your PayPal credit starting May 31st, although they won't stop your potential fashion mistakes.

Continue reading PayPal mobile payments hit the UK, filling your closet just went wireless (video)

PayPal mobile payments hit the UK, filling your closet just went wireless (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 May 2012 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square, PayPal, Intuit, Verifone -- the mobile payments field (and we're not talking wallets here) is seriously crowded already. So, the question is then, why on Earth would Groupon want to join the fray? We're not entirely sure, but VentureBeat is reporting the coupon service is preparing to do just that. According to a source within the company, Groupon is testing card-reading dongle and payment platform with surprisingly aggressive pricing. According to the insider, transaction fees will be 1.8 percent, on top of a $0.15 base charge. By comparison, square charges a flat 2.75 percent. Interestingly, the source also claims that Groupon is handing out, not just free readers, but free iPod touches to plug them into. The move makes obvious sense since the company snatched up Kima Labs, makers of TapBuy, in February. Besides, it could easily integrate its discount offers with the platform as a value added service. None of this is confirmed just yet but, we certainly wont be surprised if this rumor pans out.

Groupon reportedly experimenting with Square competitor originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The rumors and leaks go back a bit further, but it was a year ago today that Google officially revealed its Google Wallet mobile payment service -- a platform that the company is still betting big on, even if it may be slightly reconsidering the way it does business. While it might not have taken off quite as quickly as Google would have liked, the past year has still been a fairly eventful one for the service -- albeit occasionally for reasons the company would prefer you forget -- and the next year proves to be even more challenging as the service faces increased competition. Read on for a look back at how we got here, and what lies ahead for both Google Wallet and mobile payments in general.

Continue reading Google Wallet: one year later

Google Wallet: one year later originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 May 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Although PayPal's mobile payment system started out small with a Home Depot deal, that snowball is quickly rolling itself into a boulder. Starting next month, 15 extra US retailers will be happy to see you slap down your smartphone (not literally, we hope) instead of a credit card. The selection leads us to think a lot of smartphone owners like to shop for wearables -- Aéropostale, Foot Locker and JC Penney are in the batch, along with others -- but there's a few useful exceptions, like Barnes & Noble, Jamba Juice and TigerDirect. At least a total of 20 merchants are expected by the end of year, and as with Home Depot, you won't need special hardware besides an Android or iOS device to spend your hard-earned cash. We'll just be thankful we won't have to buy our yogurt with actual cash, like savages.

PayPal lines up 15 retailers for mobile payments, will let you buy Jamba Juice smoothies with a smartphone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 May 2012 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Canadians sometimes can't catch a break: while NFC payments have been relatively common for Americans, Europeans and certainly the Japanese, Canucks have had to largely make do paying with ye olde credit carde. Rogers and national bank CIBC want to put an end to these antediluvian ways: starting later this year, CIBC card holders will just need to swipe an NFC-equipped BlackBerry like the Bold 9900 (Bold 9930 for CDMA-loving Americans) at a matching terminal to pay at a given store. The only special requirement is a secure SIM card that gives customers the freedom to change phones, even if it does create problems switching banks or carriers down the line. We're just hoping that Android and other platforms get the same treatment and let more of our Canadian friends pay for poutine that much faster.

Continue reading Rogers and CIBC make joint deal for NFC mobile payments in Canada, let you check out with your BlackBerry

Rogers and CIBC make joint deal for NFC mobile payments in Canada, let you check out with your BlackBerry originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 May 2012 02:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Jostling for attention among a crowd of China-focused smartphone card readers, 99Bill's card reader has now been officially revealed. It plugs into your headphone jack and communicates with apps on both iOS and Android. The familiar-looking reader supports both passcode and signature security -- China matches several European countries where passcode cards are the more common option. The company has already hooked up with three insurance companies, but it's keeping quiet on the rates it'll charge per transaction and any further expansion plans. 99Bills lays down why it should be your go-to choice for smartphone payments in mainland China right after the break.

Continue reading 99Bill smartphone card reader pushes mobile payments for China, pretends it's never heard of Square

99Bill smartphone card reader pushes mobile payments for China, pretends it's never heard of Square originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 01:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VeriFone has decided that calling out claimed security holes and focusing on enterprise-level payment options aren't enough to take on Square. Sail goes more directly for Square's jugular, using its own plug-in dongle to handle major credit card payments in your local coffee shop or a mid-sized outlet. The VeriFone party trick comes through having multiple payment options, where shopkeeps can either choose to pay a flat 2.7 percent cut of every sale, or shell out a $10 monthly fee to lower the transactional take to 1.95 percent. Programming interfaces will let you hook in deals from social networks, too. And as you might expect, the company is still keen to tie Sail to its traditional payment systems, opening the door to NFC readers as well as other payment hardware that isn't quite as mobile. Stores with iPhones will be the only ones using the free Sail mobile apps and readers at first, but Android- and iPad-toting entrepreneurs will have their alternative to Square or PayPal Here as soon as the end of May.

VeriFone outs Sail mobile payment system, gives Square the evil eye originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MasterCard's PayPass is certainly one of the bigger players in the contactless payment scene. But, simply putting a few thousand branded payment terminals in stores across the nation isn't enough. The next step is expanding that empire, not only in terms of locations and handsets, but by turning the phone into just an accessory in a larger ecosystem. PayPass Wallet Services is a new umbrella product that includes an online payment system, a branded service and an API that allows developers to integrate PayPass into their own proprietary offerings. Simply put, PayPass is no longer a product, but a platform. The service remembers not only credit cards, but shipping addresses and other identifying info that streamlines the shopping process, while the API means that others can build value added offerings around PayPass. There's even a dedicated Android app.

The company is hoping to have the system ready for a broad roll out by the third quarter of the year. When that time comes, a pile of partners have pledged to support it in various ways. The names on that list should ring at least a few bells: Intel, Barnes & Noble, Newegg, MLB and American Airlines. It all seems pretty impressive (though, we'll reserve judgement till we get to try it out). Your move, Google.

Zachary Lutz contributed to this report

Gallery: MasterCard PayPass Wallet Services

Continue reading MasterCard introduces PayPass Wallet Services, Online and API at CTIA 2012

MasterCard introduces PayPass Wallet Services, Online and API at CTIA 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading V.me by Visa coming to the Europe this autumn, cash starts begging for another chance

V.me by Visa coming to the Europe this autumn, cash starts begging for another chance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Converting a cellphone into a credit card reader is nothing new, but transforming one into a box office for live events could shake things up a bit -- or, at least provide a bit of friendly competition for NFC-based alternatives. In Ticketing has just launched InHand Box Office software for use at live events. The company claims to be one of the greener ticketing outfits out there, and plans to turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a device capable of wirelessly processing payments (and printing out paper receipts, unlike Square or PayPal Here) at independently run concerts or festivals. Potentially reducing time spent in line and preventing congestion at the entrance translates into more people inside the venue, and using your phone instead of a difficult-to-establish credit card merchant account should reduce the friction in throwing such an event. As long as you tend to carry the appropriate iDevice with In Ticketing's new app installed, you can marry it to that iAPS Sled you see above to create your own personal CC processing machine. The only issues? Convincing Gotye to play your house party instead of Coachella next year, and that awkward lack of support for Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

Continue reading In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they're using iOS

In Ticketing increases options for venues and promoters, as long as they're using iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Square's feeling good, on pace to take $5 billion in payments per year

Square's feeling good, on pace to take $5 billion in payments per year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In Boston this fall, you won't need to keep up with your train ticket anymore -- as long as you don't leave your smartphone at home. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and Masabi have joined forces to bring a rail ticketing to handheld devices via iPhone, Android and BlackBerry apps. Headquartered in London, Masabi has launched similar tech for transit companies in the UK, eliminating ticket lines for many smartphone-wielding passengers. Software will allow riders to purchase tickets and passes that are validated with a barcode scan by conductors equipped with mobile devices of their own. MBTA is looking to cut costs and provide added convenience with the new system instead of adding more ticketing kiosks to its stations. The aforementioned apps will be developed alongside focus groups and a small pilot group this summer with a full rollout to all MBTA customers expected to happen this fall. Looking for a bit more info? Hit the coverage and source links below to read on.

[Image credit: Masabi on Flickr]

Continue reading MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this fall

MBTA and Masabi team up for first smartphone rail ticketing system in the US, launching in Boston this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you don't have a fancy NFC-enabled phone then it's hard to join the mobile wallet club. Fortunately, Barclays has introduced the PayTag that turns any phone into a contactless card. It's a square of plastic a quarter the size of a credit card that's sticky on one side -- yup, you just jam it on the back of your phone and hey presto, you can buy sandwiches, or any purchase up to £15 (£20 from June), without opening your wallet. The sticky squares will be rolling out exclusively to British Barclaycard customers over the next few months, although we're not sure what it'll do to the trade-in value of your handset.

Continue reading Barclays releases PayTag: the NFC card you glue to your phone (video)

Barclays releases PayTag: the NFC card you glue to your phone (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of April 2nd, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Sprint LG Viper 4G goes on pre-order April 12 for $100, release date still TBA

Sprint LG Viper 4G goes on pre-order April 12 for $100, release date still TBA originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 13:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You might know Square for accepting payments on your smartphone via a cute dongle, but you're probably less familiar with its second offshoot, Card Case -- a separate app that has enabled hands-free and NFC-free payments at over 70,000+ merchants for more than a year now. That effort is getting a complete overhaul today, cumulating in an entire rethink of the app and experience, in addition to its more-apt new title: Pay with Square. The redesigned UI loses its former card and leather-based garnish, opting instead for a simplified list of merchants sorted by distance and relevancy. Also making its debut is a search box, a spiffy map view and the ability to share merchants to friends through text, email or Twitter. We're most excited, though, for feature parity across iPhone and Android, which means formerly iOS-exclusive features like the auto-creation of tabs at pre-approved venues (thanks to iOS 5's geo-fencing APIs) are now present to green little robots everywhere. That's no small feat, as the company's had to roll their own geo-location API to pick up where Google's left off. Excited? Get your download on in the source links below.

Gallery: Pay with Square screenshots

Square's Card Case rechristened 'Pay with Square,' is first to bring geo-fenced hands-free payments to Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google reportedly rethinking Google Wallet strategy, may share revenue with carriers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading PayPal Here mobile card reader: it's like Square, but with way more frozen accounts

PayPal Here mobile card reader: it's like Square, but with way more frozen accounts originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nokia's extreme dieting continues as it kills off Nokia Money originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square takes on New York taxis with new iPad-based payment system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Square's new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal

Square's new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Isis partners with VeriFone, Ingenico, ViVOtech and Equinox, prepares to take over the world

Isis partners with VeriFone, Ingenico, ViVOtech and Equinox, prepares to take over the world originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of February 27th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of February 27th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Wallet Android app updated, headed to 'at least' ten more Sprint phones this year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading eBay, PayPal, Opera announce mobile payment innovations at MWC

eBay, PayPal, Opera announce mobile payment innovations at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AT&T connected Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S get Android Market Google Wallet installs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MasterCard reveals roadmap for our electronic payment future: EMV in, magnetic strips out

MasterCard reveals roadmap for our electronic payment future: EMV in, magnetic strips out originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Who needs extra hardware to add mobile payments to iOS and Android? Not Card.io, who's unveiled a new SDK for it's visual card processing system alongside a payment app allowing anyone to accept payments from other users. Having already launched its scanner software development kit last year, the new SDK will open up the company's payment process to third-party developers. The new payment app works across Android and iPhone platforms, with no need to register as a merchant to access the feature. Although there are no registration charges, payments made through either PayPal or your bank account will have an additional 3.5 percent plus 30 cents nudged on top of each transaction. Going dutch has never been more (begrudgingly) easy.

Continue reading Card.io reaches out to devs, offers up credit card payment accounts to Joe normal

Card.io reaches out to devs, offers up credit card payment accounts to Joe normal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: NXP gesture smart card hands-on

Continue reading NXP gesture smart card adds another layer of security to NFC data, we go hands-on (video)

NXP gesture smart card adds another layer of security to NFC data, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square's perimeter gets larger, now sold at UPS and OfficeMax locations originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aussie bank debuts Kaching app, accompanying iCarte case for mobile payments on iPhone 4 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank found consortium to support global NFC standards in Japan

NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank found consortium to support global NFC standards in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square snags one million merchants, liberates the cashless originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Gemalto chosen by Isis to keep its NFC and mobile payment service secure

Gemalto chosen by Isis to keep its NFC and mobile payment service secure originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MasterCard and mFoundry partner to offer NFC payments within mobile banking apps

MasterCard and mFoundry partner to offer NFC payments within mobile banking apps originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Google Wallet unofficially finessed into Galaxy Nexus, complete with complimentary cash originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.