Get a prepaid virtual Visa account with Singtel Dash

Source: Singtel.

Singtel has launched Singapore’s first virtual Visa account on its all-in-one mobile payments app, Dash. Both new and existing Dash customers will automatically receive a Dash Visa Virtual Account* that can be used for mobile payments at over 50,000 merchant points in Singapore.

To start paying on their mobile, customers sign in on the Dash app, top up their Dash Visa accounts and start using them at Dash merchants and on local e-commerce sites such as Qoo10, Zalora and HungryGoWhere. Customers with compatible NFC-enabled Android smartphones will also be able to pay using their Dash Visa accounts wherever Visa payWave is accepted, including at Sheng Siong supermarket, as well as cafes such as Spinelli and Toastbox.

Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said “Just one year on from relaunch, we are pleased to expand our payments universe with Visa. We are always seeking new ways to enhance Dash’s functionality and convenience to stay relevant to our customers’ changing lifestyle habits.”

Ooi Huey Tyng, Visa Country Manager for Singapore & Brunei said, “Singaporeans are becoming more digitally engaged and smartphones have become an integral part of their lives. Based on research that we have conducted, two out of three Singaporeans have made a payment using their smartphones, and it is even more popular amongst Millennials**.”

Singtel also announced future plans for Dash to be included in global wallets such as Apple Pay, and enable QR code payments to expand into hawker centres. In addition to Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic, Dash is also working towards adding more educational institutions to its merchant list to widen its reach in the youth segment.

Yuen added, “Dash's goal is to deliver ubiquitous mobile payments for everyone in Singapore. With Dash Visa, customers can now enjoy paying with their mobile at more than 50,000 physical merchant points and also on e-commerce sites. We look forward to introducing more innovative enhancements that will add value to our customers' digital lives."

Dash is available to everyone regardless of telco relationship or device model. It is the only mobile payments app that offers real-time local and international money transfers***, in-store and online retail payments, as well as transit payments. Customers can enjoy paying with Dash for their taxi, bus and train rides, and also at supermarkets, convenience stores and food courts. Since its relaunch last year, Dash has boosted its customer base to over 500,000, with payments, remittance and transit transaction volumes more than doubling.

Interested?

Customers will be able enjoy the following promotions till 20 August 2017:

 New and re-contracting Singtel postpaid mobile customers will receive S$50 discounts or free accessories when they purchase the following handsets with Dash at any Singtel Shop:

- Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Huawei P10/P10 Plus and HTC U11 (S$50 handset discount)

- Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ (Free S Clear View Standing Cover)

 All Dash customers will also enjoy these exclusive partner deals (terms and conditions apply):

- S$1 short grain rice or instant white coffee at Sheng Siong

- S$1 for any 8oz Hot Espresso-Based Beverage (usual price S$4 to S$5.70) at Spinelli

- 18% off a minimum S$120 spend, plus S$5 Cashback on Zalora

- S$1 deals across various items and discount coupons on Qoo10

- S$10 Cashback with S$180 spend across merchants on Shopback

- S$5 Cashback with every S$50 top-up on GrabPay

Download the app

*The Dash Visa Virtual Account is a prepaid account. All new and existing Dash customers are eligible for a Dash Visa virtual account on Dash app v4.5. To activate Visa payWave payments, customers are required to set Dash as the default payment on their phone settings.

**SEA Consumer Payments Attitude Survey 2016 – Report for Singapore. Conducted by Toluna on 500 Singaporeans to gain insights and assess their attitudes towards cash and card usage, mobile banking, contactless payments, online shopping etc.

***Remittance services are offered by SingCash

Australian consumers happy to use contactless cards to pay

The latest Mastercard Digital Purchasing Survey* reveals that Australian consumers are continuously embracing digital payment technology, with more than four in five (82%) Australians using tap and go (contactless methods) to make payments every week. In fact, over one third of Australians have been annoyed when a store did not offer tap and go, and one in ten even avoid such a store.

Australians are using contactless cards most frequently at supermarkets (54%), general retail stores (22%), and petrol stations (11%).

Garry Duursma, Head of Market Development and Payment Innovation for Mastercard Australia and New Zealand, said, “Overall Australians see tap and go as a convenient and time saving way to pay. The survey findings indicate an increasing demand on retailers to take advantage of more innovative payment methods, with the majority of Australians believing that businesses that offer contactless technology are making it easier for their customers. Almost half of Australians are looking for a better and more enhanced shopping experience.”

Consumers are also becoming more aware of the benefits of contactless in security terms, with contactless card payments offering the same level of protection as chip and pin payments. In fact, Mastercard’s Zero Liability on card payments means that contactless is also safer than carrying cash, which could be lost or stolen. The increase in confidence in the security of contactless as a method of payment is demonstrated in the research findings, which show 64% of Australians are now ‘not very’ concerned about security when using contactless, up from 46% in 2014.

“Australians have largely embraced contactless payments as a part of their everyday lives, indicating that consumers are starting to gain a real understanding and appreciation for the benefits of contactless,” said Duursma. “There are a wealth of innovative payment technologies available to consumers today, and given the positive uptake in Australia, we expect to see more developments in this area, as people continually look for convenience and time saving in their busy lives.”

While tap and go becomes ubiquitous, survey findings indicate that mobile payments remain a growth area in Australia, with only one quarter (26%) of Australian consumers responding that they are aware of having contactless payment options on their mobile phone. Of those that are not aware of having a contactless option on their phone, 36% say that they would consider using it and over half (54%) of all Australians wish they knew more about digital wallet technology – an attitude that represents a positive trend towards adoption.

Globally, Mastercard is shaping the digital future by creating new and secure ways for consumers to pay across all channels and devices – from digital wallets to tokenisation to new solutions in safety and security.

Detailed findings:

Tap and go/contactless

• More than four in five (82%) Australians are using tap and go/contactless every week.

• Eighty-four percent of males, 79% of females
• Eighty-eight percent of Millennials, 83% of Generation X, 72% of Baby Boomers
• In terms of geographies, 85% come from New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory (NSW/ACT) compared to 74% South Australia (SA) and 72% from Western Australia (WA)
• This is up from 76% of Australians in December 2015

The benefits of tap and go/contactless continue to be clearly perceived as convenience and time saving.

• Eight in 10 (81%) of all Australians say that it ‘saves time / quick’ and this increases to 86% among ‘daily’ users (up from 77% December 2015)

• Eighty percent of all Australians say that it is convenient and easy (up from 75% in December 2015)
• One third of Australians have been annoyed at some time that a store hasn’t offered tap and go/contactless technology. Nearly half (46%) of Millennials say this compared to 20% of Baby Boomers
• One in ten (11%) Australians have at some occasion avoided a store that didn’t offer tap and go / contactless. Fifteen percent of Millennials say this compared to 5% of Baby Boomers 
• Seven in 10 (71%) Australians say that businesses that do offer contactless/tap and go technology are making it easier for their customers (up from 62% in December 2015). A third say that these businesses are ‘modern and innovative’

Almost half (43 %) of Australians are looking for a better and more enhanced shopping experience.
Concern about using contactless transactions at shops and petrol stations continues to recede. The majority (64%) of Australians are now ‘not very concerned’ about security when using tap and go/contactless (compared to 58% in December 2015 and 46% in 2014).

Contactless payments via mobile

One quarter (26%) of Australians are aware of having contactless payment options on their mobile phone.

• This was reported by 34% of Millennials, 24% of Generation X, 18% of Baby Boomers
• A third (35%) of people who use tap and go/contactless every day have tap and go on their mobile phone
• Of those respondents that are aware that they have mobile contactless capability, 28% make use of it weekly and 72% less often

The Mastercard Index suite in Asia Pacific includes the Mastercard Index of Consumer Confidence, as well as the Mastercard Index of Women’s Advancement, Mastercard Index of Financial Literacy, and the Mastercard Index of Global Destination Cities. In addition to the indices, Mastercard’s research properties also include a range of consumer surveys including Online Shopping, Ethical Spending and a series on consumer purchasing priorities (covering travel, dining & entertainment, education, money management, luxury and general shopping).

*This study was conducted online during December 2016 using a sample of 1,000 Australians aged between 18 and 64 years old across Australia. Age, gender and area quotas were applied to the sample.

Singtel expands mobile payment functionality with NFC

Singtel today announced that customers can pay for their MRT, LRT and bus rides in Singapore with Singtel’s Transit NFC SIM. Embedded with an EZ-Link purse, Singtel’s Transit NFC SIM can be used in compatible NFC mobile phones to pay for bus, MRT and LRT fares.

Jointly developed with the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and EZ-Link, Singtel's Transit NFC SIM will enable commuters to pay for public transit rides using NFC-enabled mobile phones.

This expanded mobile payment function further enhances Singtel’s Dash app, which has the largest mobile payment merchant network in Singapore.

Gan Siok Hoon, Vice President of mCommerce, Consumer Singapore, Singtel said, “We are pleased to offer the added convenience of mobile payments on buses, MRT and LRT. With customers already paying for their Comfort and CityCab taxi rides with our popular Dash app, they can now truly
enjoy a seamless payment experience in their daily commutes.”

She added that Singtel will soon unveil an enhanced mobile payments app that will offer greater convenience and rewards for customers and retailers.

Interested?

Singtel Transit NFC SIMs will be in sale in late April 2016. Singtel customers will be able to purchase them from Singtel Retail Shops at prevailing SIM rates with no additional costs. The usual S$5 EZ-Link registration fee will also be waived for a limited time.

posted from Bloggeroid

ABK adds NFC capabilities to Visa premium credit and prepaid cards

Source: ABK. ABK adds NFC capabilities to Visa premium credit and prepaid cards.

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) recently announced the launch of the all new Tap 'n' Go service that is now available for Visa premium credit and prepaid cardholders. The new service uses Visa payWave, a contactless payment technology that enables cardholders to simply wave or tap their card on contactless payment terminals without the need to physically swipe or insert the card into a point-of-sale.

Tap 'n' Go uses near field communication (NFC) technology and allows customers to conduct low value transactions in a faster, more convenient and secure way at any terminal that accepts Visa payWave.

Stewart Lockie, GM - Retail Banking at ABK said: “The launch of the new Tap 'n' Go service is one step further towards applying the Bank’s Simpler Banking strategy, which has been a priority. ABK’s Emirates Visa Infinite, Signature and Gold Prepaid Travel cardholders can apply for a Visa payWave-enabled card at any of the bank's branches.”

“Visa is pleased with Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait’s decision to implement Visa’s payWave technology, which is in line with Visa’s objectives to provide easy, secure, and convenient payment solutions to our consumers in Kuwait. Delivering a seamless payment experience to our customers is a priority for us. Visa’s innovation leadership means extending the benefits of electronic payments to more people in more places where and when they want them — whether they choose traditional cards, Visa payWave-enabled cards or smartphones with Visa mobile payment functionality,” said Amit Vij, Kuwait Country Manager at Visa.

Visa payWave is accepted globally and is specifically of value when transacting in fast-paced locations like supermarkets, and public transport in cities in Europe and in Singapore. 

The future of banking may include screenless ATMs driven by mobile apps

EyeLock, a provider of iris-based identity authentication solutions, and Diebold, a global provider self-service technology, software and services, have teamed up on a screenless, self-service ATM concept  that is more compact than traditional ATMs. A prototype called Irving is currently being tested by Citibank in the US.

The design of the new concept ATM does not have a PIN pad, card reader, or screen. Instead, all transactions take place via a mobile app on the user's smartphone. In addition to near field communication (NFC) and quick response (QR) code technology, the new system uses iris scanning from EyeLock to identify the customer once at the ATM.

"EyeLock believes that the age of carrying plastic cards and remembering passwords is just about over and the era of unfettered personal access through biometric technology is just beginning," said Anthony Antolino, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer for EyeLock. "For banking and other applications, EyeLock's iris identity authentication solutions are not only highly secure, but very easy to use."

According to Frank Natoli, Executive Vice President of Self-Service Technology at Diebold, customers sign into their banking app on their phone or tablet and determine how much money they want to take out. Once the withdrawal is input, they then go to any EyeLock-equipped ATM on the network to complete the transaction. They would simply approach the machine, which identifies them through NFC, scans the iris of his or her eye to quickly verify identity, and the ATM dispenses the correct amount of cash. The whole process takes less than half the time of a typical ATM transaction today - with Irving, cash withdrawals can be completed in less than ten seconds.

"While digital channels are evolving, cash will continue to play an important role in consumer transactions," Natoli said. "That's where Diebold comes into play – to bridge the digital and physical worlds of cash in unprecedented ways through cardless transactions, mobile integration and faster, more convenient access. The Irving concept embodies a new era of banking and puts the user experience at the top of the pyramid to connect consumers with their money when and how they see fit." 

Citibank is in the early stages of testing the high tech ATM and plans to roll it out are still to be determined. "At Citi, we are always looking for innovations that simplify and enhance the banking experience," said CitiFinTech CEO Heather Cox.

Hashtag: #CES2016

Canon Middle East launches new cameras for 2015, competition

Canon Middle East's new cameras for 2015 offer all the quality features and technology that you expect in a Canon, plus single tap sharing with NFC and Wi-Fi technology.

In the compact stable are the PowerShot SX530 HS, which has a 50x zoom camera, and the PowerShot SX410 IS, with 40x optical zoom.

The PowerShot SX530 HS features:

• 50x zoom
• Wi-Fi with NFC
• Full HD movie capture
• Creative modes and manual controls

Highlights of the PowerShot SX410 IS include:

• 40x zoom

• Wi-Fi with NFC
• 20 megapixels
• Intelligent IS image stabilisation
• Smart Auto shots

There are also two entry-level DSLRs, the 24.2 megapixel EOS 750D which shoots in Full HD, and the EOS 760D, which offers all the features of the EOS 750D plus the top LCD panel and rear control dial found on Canon's mid-range cameras. 

The EOS 750D and EOS 760D offer:

• 24.2 megapixels 

• Wi-Fi with NFC
• ISO 12,800
• Vari Angle LCD touch screen
• Full HD, Hybrid CMOS AF III

Canon is also running the #COMEANDSEEMYARABIA photo competition. Reveal your city by July 5 for the chance to win a Canon EOS 760D and Canon PIXMA PRO-10S. 

Interested?

More details about the photo competition
Download the camera apps

*Images from Canon Middle East's eDM.

HP 2 in 1, printer ideal for home offices

HP today announced a PC and a printer targeted at home offices. 

Designed to be fashionable and functional, the HP Pavilion x2 will be available in Singapore from October for a starting price of S$499**. The Pavilion x2 can be used as a 10" diagonal Windows tablet and shifts into a full-featured laptop with a detachable dual-purpose magnetic keyboard/cover that both protects the screen and serves as a multi-position stand.
The 2-in-1 PC is powered by an Intel Atom processor, and features front-firing speakers with DTS sound and a battery that lasts up to 11.45 hours*. It currently comes with the Tiffany blue keyboard/cover, with Moonstone gray and Lavender purple keyboard/covers to be available by end-year.

Source: HP. The HP Pavilion x2.

HP also announced a new HP ENVY printer that supports the latest mobile printing solutions, providing an easy way to print directly from smartphones and tablets***. The new printer can be set up quickly and easily with a smartphone or tablet. 

The HP ENVY 7640 e-All-in-One printer comes with NFC touch-to-print capability, a 25-page automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing and a fax function. The HP ENVY 7640 e-All-in-One has a larger 8.9cm colour touch-screen panel and an automatic photo tray that supports 4R (10 x 15cm) and 5R (13 x 18cm) printed photograph formats. The printer will be available in November starting from S$299**. 

Source: HP.
The HP ENVY 7640 e-All-in-One printer.

The new HP ENVY 7640 supports WiFi Direct, a feature that allows users to maintain a simultaneous connection with both the printer and the Internet. Ink cartridges cost S$19 for black ink and S$24 each for coloured inks. 

Sang Hoon Park, Printing Category Director, Printing & Personal Systems Group, Singapore, noted that inkjets and colour lasers serve different markets today. "Inkjets have better quality with the right media. If you don't print a lot, inkjets are best. Colour lasers are more for the commercial and enterprise market. A lot of LaserJets are bought for their high duty cycles," he said. While the new printers will support a recommended 300 pages per month, HP's lasers can print 5,000 to 6,000 pages a month.

*Battery life will vary depending on numerous factors including product model, configuration, loaded applications, features, use, wireless functionality and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will naturally decrease with time and usage. Additional details are available at www.bapco.com. 
**Estimated street prices. Actual prices may vary.
***Local printing requires mobile device and printer to be on the same network or have a direct wireless connection to printer. Wireless performance is dependent upon physical environment and distance from access point. Wireless operations are compatible with 2.4 GHz operations only. Remote printing requires an internet connection to an HP web-connected printer. App or software and HP ePrint account registration may also be required. Wireless broadband use requires separately purchased service contract for mobile devices. Check with service provider for coverage and availability in your area. See www.hp.com/go/mobileprinting for more details.