Dash users can now take advantage of Apple Pay

From now on, Singtel Dash customers can make payments using Apple Pay at millions of participating on- and offline merchants worldwide.

Wirecard, the digital financial technology provider, has enabled this by supporting the Dash mobile wallet’s Visa Virtual Account on Apple Pay.


Brigitte Haeuser-Axtner, Executive VP, Sales Asia, Digital & Telecommunications at Wirecard said, “As leaders in digital financial technology, we are proud to work with Singtel to bring Dash to an even larger group of potential customers, and to connect consumers with merchants around the globe. Asia continues to be the leader of the digital payments revolution worldwide, and we are excited to be at the forefront of these innovations.”

“With the increasing popularity of mobile and online payments, Dash enables easy, secure and seamless payment options between our partner merchants and our more than half a million Dash customers on the platform of their choice,” said Gilbert Chuah, Head of mCommerce at Singtel.

“Our expanded partnership with Wirecard to bring Dash to Apple Pay reflects our commitment to enhance the digital payment experience for both merchants and customers.”

Singtel Dash is Singapore’s only all-in-one digital wallet which provides a safe and secure mobile payments solution for shopping, commuting, and remitting money. Dash’s Visa Virtual Account is the first of its kind in Singapore and was introduced in 2017.

The inclusion of Dash into Apple Pay complements the increasing popularity of online shopping in Singapore. Wirecard’s 2018 International Holiday Shopping Report found that 67% of Singaporeans surveyed prefer shopping online, either via desktop or mobile, while 20% prefer shopping in-store. The ability to use mobile payments in-store is a welcome innovation with 51% of respondents saying it would improve their shopping experience.

Explore:

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about Singtel and Visa Virtual Accounts

NETSPay now available for OCBC and UOB cards

- More than 11 million NETS cardholders will be able to make secure NETS payments using their phones at more than 60,000 NETS QR acceptance points

- NETSPay users can store up to 10 ATM bank cards on the app; easy to separate and track transactions

- NETSPay users can also make payments on a mobile app (e.g. AXS m-Station) and on websites, not just at points-of-sale

OCBC Bank and UOB customers will now be able to make NETS payments with their mobile phones via the NETSPay app instead of using their physical NETS ATM bank cards* with participating merchants. Merchants which will be offering NETSPay as a payment option on their mobile apps and websites include Qoo10, Audio House, NTUC Income, Singapore Mint, Metro Department Store and Rydesharing.com.

OCBC Bank and UOB customers can digitise (store) their NETS ATM bankcards on their mobile phones for NETS payments at more than 105,000 acceptance points island-wide including at more than 60,000 NETS QR acceptance points, making mobile payments available to more than 11 million NETS cardholders. NETS static QR will be incorporated under the SG QR code specifications when the latter is released later in the year.

NETSPay works just like the physical NETS ATM bank card with purchases debited directly from the customer’s bank account. Consumers just have to scan the NETS QR code or tap their NFC-enabled phone on a NETS terminal to make payments. Paying via NETSPay comes with the added advantage of not having to key in a PIN for transactions of less than S$100.

Jeffrey Goh, Group CEO, NETS Group, said, “We are pleased to welcome OCBC and UOB cardholders to NETSPay. Since NETSPay was launched in Oct 2017, we have already seen transactions increase 70-fold as consumers see the convenience and benefits of mobile payments at point-of-sale. We’re confident that this number will continue to grow exponentially with the addition of OCBC and UOB customers.”

Milind Sanghavi, Head of Digital Payments, OCBC Bank, said, “Mobile payments are gaining steam in Singapore, with increasing levels of awareness and the government’s push for a cashless society. OCBC started our war on cash with OCBC Pay Anyone, the industry’s first cashless payments solution, in 2014. Last year, we upped the ante to provide our customers a consolidated payments app and partnered with NETS to offer peer-to-merchant and peer-to-peer payments via QR codes, in addition to payments via mobile numbers, Facebook and emails.

“While we have seen exponential growth in our customers’ cashless payments adoption volumes, digital payments still take up only a small portion of the total number of payment transactions in Singapore, so we are delighted to deepen the partnership with NETS, with its NETSPay service, to tap into the growth opportunity in digital payments. This will give our customers an additional avenue to perform digital NETS payments – via a QR code scan or a contactless tap directly from their mobile devices. We are confident the ease of usage of the NETSPay platform will encourage more customers to adopt mobile payments as a primary mode of payment, displacing cash,” he added.

Aaron Chiew, Head of Digital and Mobile, Regional Digital Banking, UOB, said, “At UOB, we know that our customers want simpler, smarter and secure ways to make payments through the mobile phone. For example, our customers have taken to the ease of using their phones to pay by NETS, with such transactions growing an average of 198% every month since we enabled NETS QR code and NETS mobile contactless payments on our mobile banking app UOB Mighty last year. The NETSPay app will complement our initiatives and give our customers different options that enable them to make mobile contactless payments directly from their bank accounts.”

NETSPay users are not just limited to making contactless and QR code payments at retailers (point-of-sale). The service is also available as a payment option within a mobile app (e.g. AXS m-Station) and for online QR payments at e-commerce websites.

Since May 2018, AXS m-Station users have been able to pay their bills via NETSPay. NETSPay uses the phone’s fingerprint or passcode authorisation to effect payment, doing away with the need to key in Internet banking token or credit card details.

Joey Chang, CEO, AXS, said, “AXS is pleased to collaborate with NETS to enable NETSPay on AXS m-Station mobile app since 3 May 2018. NETSPay provides a quick and seamless mode of payment for our users, and with this convenience, we are very encouraged with the strong take-up numbers.”

Added Goh, “Our partnership with AXS provides NETSPay users with added convenience as they are now able to take care of another everyday payment, this time bill payments, with the same app. NETSPay truly is ‘the payment app that can’.”

As with its physical AXS Station counterpart, the AXS m-Station mobile app offers a one-stop experience for users to pay for a host of services including credit card bills, phone bills, utility bills, traffic fines, car park fines, phone card top-ups and more.

Details:

NETSPay users can store up to 10 ATM bank cards on the app, allowing them to choose between bank accounts for different purchases. This enables NETSPay users to dedicate bank accounts for different types of purchases and also track their transactions by bank account on the app

To pay via NETSPay:

All phones	NFC-enabled phones
1.     Open the NETSPay app 2.     Select Scan Code 3.     Scan the NETS QR code to complete payment	1.     Tap phone* on terminal *NETSPay must be set as the default payment app

*UOB customers can also digitise their NETS ATM bank cards on and make payment through the Bank’s mobile banking app, UOB Mighty.

**NETS QR code and NETS mobile contactless payments were enabled on UOB Mighty in September and December 2017 respectively.

Mastercard brings Apple Pay to Taiwan

Mastercard has introduced Apple Pay in Taiwan.  Mastercard is working with major card issuing institutions, including CTBC Bank, Cathy United Bank, E.SUN Bank, Standard Chartered, Taipei Fubon Bank, Taishin Bank and Union Bank of Taiwan to enable their customers using Mastercard credit cards with Apple Pay,  which transforms mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay that’s fast and convenient.

“According to our latest research, 61% of consumers in Taiwan are aware of near field communications (NFC) technology and contactless payments, with more than 80% of consumers willing to try or continue using contactless payments*,” said Eva Chen, Head of Mastercard Taiwan. “Mastercard is committed to enabling a seamless, faster and safer payment experience for consumers and with Apple Pay, Mastercard cardholders will experience an easy, convenient and secure way to pay in stores, on the go from apps and on the web.”

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When using  a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, or on Apple servers. A unique "in between" device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in a secure part of the device. Each transaction is further authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by credit cards. In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and later, and Apple Watch.

Online shopping in apps and on websites accepting Apple Pay is as simple as the touch of a finger with Touch ID, so there is no need to manually fill out forms or repeatedly typing in shipping and billing information. When paying for goods and services on the go in apps or Safari, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later. Users can also use Apple Pay in Safari on any Mac introduced in or after 2012 running macOS Sierra and confirm the payment with iPhone 6 or later or Apple Watch, or with Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro.

Interested?

From now through 30 June 2017, when people pay with Apple Pay using a Mastercard credit card at restaurants and supermarkets in Pacific Sogo Department Stores, Far Eastern Department Stores and Breeze Center, they will get an immediate NT$30 rebate for a NT$150 purchase. The promotion is available once a day per credit card, per person, and is limited to the first 20,000 shoppers per day.

*MIC, Consumer Behaviors Analysis of Mobile Payment

Sending Singapore remittances to Indonesia is now more convenient with new Dash service

Source: Singtel. A wefie to celebrate the launch of Singtel Dash’s new mobile remittance service.

Singtel and Telkomsel have launched a real-time mobile remittance service to Indonesia at Festival RISING50. Offered by SingCash under the Singtel Dash brand, this service allows customers in Singapore to send money to PT Pos Indonesia’s 4,500 cash-out points* across the country via Weselpos Instan**. This is an enhancement to the current facility that lets customers send money to Indonesian bank accounts.

Source: Singtel. From left: HE Ngurah Swajaya, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Singapore; Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel; Pak Ririek Adriansyah, CEO, Telkomsel and Pak Gilarsi Wahju Setijono, President Director, PT POS Indonesia launch Singtel Dash’s new mobile remittance service at Festival RISING50.

Source: Singtel. Part of the 4,000-strong crowd.

This marks the first time that Singtel and Telkomsel are collaborating on mobile money initiatives to drive innovation in both their markets. According to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore, there are 200,000 Indonesians living and working in Singapore. Outward remittances from Singapore to Indonesia total more than US$409 million yearly***.

Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “Indonesia is one of our main remittance corridors and we are pleased to partner Telkomsel to offer convenient and secure mobile remittance cash pick-up service for our Indonesian friends. Singtel Dash will continue to enhance the mobile payments experience for our customers and enable their digital lifestyles. We are also excited to contribute to Singapore’s journey to a Smart Nation by developing the mobile payments ecosystem in Singapore.”

Ririek Adriansyah, CEO, Telkomsel, said, "Telkomsel's partnership in Singtel's remittance service is one effort to support our government in promoting financial inclusion for Indonesian people, especially the unbanked segment. Foreign remittance enables them to improve their quality of life as well as provide an opportunity to begin saving for the future. We believe every little effort to promote financial inclusion will also accelerate the growth of Indonesia’s economy."

In line with their commitment to work together on smart money initiatives, the two leading telcos also announced future plans to offer mobile remittance to Telkomsel’s TCash, offering a complete mobile wallet-to-mobile wallet experience. They also plan to expand the number of cash pickup points to GraPARI Telkomsel service centres, as well as PT Bank BRI branches in the second half of this year.

More than 4,000 Indonesians attended Festival RISING50 at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore over the weekend. Presented by Singtel and Telkomsel, this is the first concert event of RISING50 celebrations held in commemoration of 50 years of bilateral relations between Singapore and Indonesia.

Popular Indonesian music artistes were specially invited to Singapore to take part in the festivities and entertain the Indonesian community. Pop band, Armada wowed the audience with songs such as Mau Dibawa Kemana and Pergi Pagi Pulang Pagi. Siti Badriah, one of Indonesia’s up-and-coming dangdut**** singers, got the crowd singing and dancing along with her hit songs such as Brondong Tua and Goyang Pumang. 

Singtel Dash is Singapore’s first all-in-one mobile payments solution that is available to everyone. It is the only mobile payments app that offers fast, secure and real-time mobile remittance services, supports in-store and online retail payments, as well as transit payments. Customers can enjoy paying with Singtel Dash for their taxi, bus and train rides, as well as at supermarkets, convenience stores and food courts. There are nearly 500,000 Singtel Dash customers today. Usage is growing; the volume of monthly transactions has doubled over the last six months. 

Interested?

To celebrate the launch of the service, Singtel Dash is offering remittance fee waivers until 31 March 2017 to customers who send money via Weselpos Instan.

*Kantor Pos (post office) branches operated by PT Pos Indonesia.

**Weselpos Instan is a remittance product of PT Pos Indonesia.

***Source: World Bank Bilateral Remittance Matrix 2015.

****Dangdut is a music genre for Indonesian folk and traditional popular music with roots in Hindustani, Malay, and Arabic music.

Western Union remittances available digitally to Maybank customers in Malaysia

Source: Western Union Financial Services. Bassem Awada, Western Union VP for Key Initiatives, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and CIS (left) and Datuk Lim Hong Tat, Maybank Group Head, Community Financial Services (right) at the launch of Western Union Money Transfer Service via the Maybank M2U Mobile App.

Maybank and Western Union, a global payment services provider, have launched the first digital remittance service in Malaysia via the Maybank2u (M2u) mobile banking app. The digital remittance service is also available on the Maybank2u website.

The feature enables Maybank customers to transfer money to more than 500,000 Western Union agent locations in over 200 countries and territories*. The money transfer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week including public holidays, and allows customers to transfer up to RM10,000 in a day. Recipients are typically able to access the money much sooner than through traditional money transfer methods.

Maybank Group Head, Community Financial Services, Datuk Lim Hong Tat said that the new service will reinforce Maybank's online leadership and help the bank to grow its business of enabling transactions on digital platforms. "This new service reflects the same commitment we have as Western Union in providing consumers the best in cross-border financial services. Maybank customers are now able to enjoy fast, convenient and reliable cross-border remittance transfer services digitally around the world," he said.

"We have revolutionised the money transfer processes for Maybank customers when comparing with current practice, where they need to visit a Western Union Agent location in order to transfer money. Now, all they need to do is log in to the M2u App and select the Western Union service, and they are good to go."

Maybank is the leading mobile banking provider in Malaysia with 62% share of all mobile banking transactions in the country, performed via M2u.

Bassem Awada, Western Union VP for Key Initiatives, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and CIS, said, "This mobile banking app not only grows our relationship with Maybank, but also strengthens our position in Malaysia's cross-border money transfer market. The combination of Maybank's strong presence in digital banking and Western Union's growing digital network, geographic reach and ability to exchange in 130 currencies enables us to move money quickly and reliably."

*Network data as of September 30, 2016

Starbucks, Tencent team up to make gifting, payment easier

Source: Starbucks. Wong.

Starbucks Coffee Company and Tencent Holdings, a provider of Internet value-added services in China, are co-creating a new social gifting feature on WeChat, China’s mobile social communications service, in early 2017. In addition Starbucks customers are now able to use WeChat Pay to make purchases at close to 2,500 Starbucks stores across mainland China.

This partnership positions Starbucks as the first retail brand to combine and bring a locally relevant social gifting and digital payment experience to life on WeChat in China. The new integrated feature will enable customers in China to gift others with Starbucks-branded gifts and products, together with a personalised message. Recipients can save their gifts and memories on their WeChat accounts and redeem their gift at Starbucks stores across China.

As part of this partnership, Starbucks will introduce the use of WeChat Pay for purchases in its retail stores in a continued effort to elevate the in-store experience for customers. This cash-free digital payment experience, which allows users to pay for their goods and services from their mobile devices, is one of the most popular payment methods in China, with more than 300 million users linking their bank cards with WeChat or QQ, another flagship service of Tencent, as of March 2016.

“Starbucks and Tencent share similar values to enable greater human connections through our respective products and services, and I am pleased to partner with an established and respected social and mobile industry leader in China,” said Belinda Wong, CEO, Starbucks China. “This new strategic partnership will leverage the strengths of both Starbucks and WeChat to create a true online-to-offline social gifting platform that will deepen our engagement with our customers in a unique and powerful way. Just as Starbucks cards are among the most gifted around the globe, we aspire to also become the most gifted brand digitally in China.”

“The strategic cooperation between WeChat and Starbucks enables us to bring the unique Starbucks retail experience seamlessly to hundreds of millions of WeChat users in China,” said Allen Zhang, Senior Executive VP, Tencent. “We are happy to be the partner of choice of Starbucks and look forward to deepening our connection to our users through the highest-quality services.”

Starbucks is committed to innovative digital experiences that surprise, delight and deliver an elevated Starbucks Experience for its customers across China. The online social gifting platform is part of the company’s growing digital presence focused on connecting with customers through digital channels, including the Starbucks Mobile App, the My Starbucks Rewards programme and social media.

Earlier this year, Starbucks launched a mobile payment system in China aimed at providing My Starbucks Rewards members access to a fast, seamless and convenient way to pay for purchases, using a preloaded Starbucks Gift Card on their mobile devices.

Singtel offers discounts off Dash remittance fees

Singtel has announced that till 30 September 2016, those sending money to selected countries can enjoy 50% off remittance fees.

There are discounts for Indonesia (S$5), India (S$2.50) and China (S$8). Terms and conditions apply.

Interested?

Sign up at the Dash flagship stores at Lucky Plaza #01-26, or City Plaza #01-02

Chinese passengers can pay for Grab rides in Singapore, Thailand via Alipay

• Visitors from China can now use Alipay to pay for Grab rides in Singapore and Thailand
• Grab’s partnership with Alipay further highlights company’s commitment to providing a seamless app experience to customers

Grab, the Southeast Asian ride-hailing company and Ant Financial Services Group, the parent company of China’s largest third-party payment platform Alipay, are providing a cross-border payment solution to Chinese travellers visiting and residing in Singapore and Thailand. Starting today, Alipay users can pay for their taxi and private-hire car rides booked through the Grab app with their Alipay accounts.

Prior to this, Chinese travellers would have had to pay for their rides either by connecting their dual currency credit cards or making a payment via cash. With the Alipay payment option added, all Chinese travellers can pay for their fares in renminbi, without having to worry about currency exchange. Grab and Alipay plan to make the Alipay payment option available in other Southeast Asian markets that Grab currently operates in.

“We are constantly looking at ways to improve our app experience for local and international users. Providing multiple payment options that suit our customers’ preferences is a key focus area for us. Our partnership with Alipay allows Chinese travellers to use Grab to book taxis or private cars for a hassle-free way to get around the city – and they can use a payment method they are familiar with, go cashless and pay in Renminbi,” said Joel Yarbrough, Group Product Manager, Grab.

Sabrina Peng, Vice President of International Business at Ant Financial, said, “By collaborating with partners like Grab, we provide Chinese travellers the kind of convenience they are used to in China – no matter where they are in the world.”

To use Alipay, passengers need only open their Grab app, select GrabPay in the menu bar and add their Alipay account. Grab’s partnership with Alipay underlines the company’s continued commitment to making the Grab app an even more seamless experience for local and international users. Grab passengers can choose to pay with their preferred option, whether cash, credit card or Alipay. Grab is also partnering with local mobile operators to offer mobile wallet solutions.

Alipay has been working with local merchants in 69 overseas markets. As of May 2016, Alipay is accepted in more than 70,000 retail stores outside of China, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 24 countries and regions, including South Korea, Germany and France.

MasterCard supports Apple Pay in Singapore

MasterCard cardholders in Singapore can now use Apple Pay to pay in a simple, secure and seamless way. MasterCard is working with major banks, including DBS, OCBC, POSB, Standard Chartered and UOB, to enable their customers to use their MasterCard credit or debit cards with Apple Pay.

Apple users in Singapore can now use their iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch to make purchases in stores equipped with contactless readers, with just a tap of their iPhone and a thumbprint or passcode for verification, or by simply holding their Apple Watch to the card reader. Within mobile apps, payments can be made on iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro.

Security remains a priority

Security and privacy is at the core of Apple Pay. When you use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. There is a separate token assigned to each of your Apple devices, which means that not only is the token number different from your ‘real’ card number, but it is also prevented from transacting via any other device. When you use your device for a transaction, it is the token and not the real card number that is provided to the merchant. As an added protection for consumers, Apple Pay incorporates extra security features such as Touch ID to authorise every payment. MasterCard’s secure payment platform, MasterCard Digital Enablement Service, is key to enabling MasterCard cardholders to use Apple Pay.

“The biggest change we’ve seen in the payments space recently is the transformation of every electronic device into a shopping device, from mobile phones to watches. The readiness of Singapore’s consumers to embrace mobile payments, coupled with the rapid uptake of mobile payments is quickly changing the dynamics of shopping and transacting online. With Apple Pay, MasterCard cardholders will have the flexibility and assurance to make secure digital payments wherever and whenever they want,” said Deborah Heng, Group Head and GM, MasterCard Singapore.

For consumers and retailers alike, every purchase made with a MasterCard using Apple Pay is a transaction that offers all the benefits and guarantees of a transaction with the physical MasterCard – points, cashback and insurance protection.

With the MasterCard Nearby app, a location-based app that identifies retailers that accept contactless payments, cardholders can easily locate shops which accept Apple Pay. These locations are part of the MasterCard contactless global footprint of 5 million contactless terminals in 77 countries around the world.

Recent figures from MasterCard indicate that consumers in Singapore are supportive of the idea of adopting contactless payments. Consumers in Singapore are among Asia’s top three adopters of digital wallets and interest has been climbing steadily with one in four likely to use a digital wallet compared to just one in 20 three years ago.

MasterCard's Mobile Shopping Survey*, announced in February this year, reveals that consumers in Asia Pacific are embracing new mobile technologies with one in five (19.5%) using digital wallets, a two-fold increase from two years ago (9.7%). Smartphone users in emerging markets, China (45%) and India (36.7%) are the biggest adopters of digital wallets in the region, but smartphone users in Singapore (23.3 percent) come in third.

In Singapore, mobile banking apps (44.3%) are most widely used among other new mobile technologies, followed by digital wallets (23.3%) and in-app shopping (22.8%). Digital wallets have seen the fastest uptake over the last year with a four-fold increase (5.7% in 2014), compared to mobile banking apps and in-app shopping which saw a growth of 3.7% and 7.8% respectively.

In addition, the survey found that half of respondents in Asia Pacific had made a purchase using their smartphones in the last three months. Three quarters of people in India (76.4%) and China (76.1%), recently shopped on smartphones. In Singapore, 48.5% of respondents have made a purchase through their mobile phones in the last three months, an increase from 36.7% in 2014.The top three spend categories are clothing and other fashion accessories (37.3%), coupon/deal sites (22.3%) and tickets for movies (22.1%).

• Overall, close to half of respondents (48.5%) across the region have made a purchase using their smartphone in the past three months, with South Korea (62%) and Thailand (61.1%) in third and fourth places, behind India and China. On the other end of the spectrum, Australians (23.7%) and New Zealanders (16.2%) are the least likely to shop online via their mobile phones. 
• India tops the region in growth rates, with the number of people shopping on smartphones rising by 29.3% from two years ago, followed by Vietnam (17.7%) and Singapore (17.1%).
• More than half of the respondents across Asia Pacific (53.9%) cited convenience as the key driver for shopping on their smartphone. Other motivating factors include the ability to shop on the go (42.9%) and the growing availability of apps that make it easy to shop online (41.4%). 
• Clothing and accessories (35%), personal care and beauty products (20.9%) and movie tickets (20.4%) are the top mobile shopping purchases amongst Asia Pacific consumers. Close to half of consumers in China (46.4%), India (42.5%) and Korea (42.1%) shop for clothing and accessories on their smartphone.

Interested?

Get more information on Apple Pay

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post on Apple Pay in Singapore

*The results are based on interviews that took place between October and December 2015 with 8,500 people aged 18-64 across 14 markets in Asia Pacific: Thailand, mainland China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Malaysia. New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, India. and the Philippines. 

posted from Bloggeroid

RHB Now Mobile Banking app introduces flexible mobile payments

The RHB Banking Group (RHB) has launched its new RHB Now Mobile Banking app as part of its digital strategy.

Source: RHB. From left: Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Group Managing Director for RHB Banking Group and U Chen Hock, Executive Director, Group Retail Banking for RHB Banking Group at the official launch of the new RHB Now Mobile Banking App. 

"Through our digital strategy, we have been focusing on creating a digital ecosystem around the lifestyle and financial needs of our customers. We are now able to connect directly with our customers, help them in their banking needs and open up innovative payment gateways to cater to the fast-paced modern lifestyles of today’s younger generation. One article reported that today, an average person checks their smart phones at least 150 times a day. And on average daily, Malaysians spend 3 hours 37 minutes on the Internet via a mobile phone," said Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Group Managing Director, RHB Banking Group during the launch.

He also noted that Bank Negara Malaysia statistics show a rise in mobile banking penetration levels in Malaysia from 5.3% of the population in 2011 to 23.5% as at end-2015. "This statistic depicts the changing lifestyle of the population and the changing relationship banks have with their customers today," he said.

"The RHB Now Mobile Banking App provides our customers with a simple, fast and seamless platform to manage their banking transactions. The new and enhanced capabilities of the RHB Now Mobile Banking App will meet the lifestyle demands of our customers and the millenials. They will now be able to manage their money on the move. This is a significant milestone in our digital journey and our commitment to become the next generation digital bank,” Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, added.

The app presents RHB Pay Anyone, the first-in-the-market feature that enables customers to send money to familyRH members, friends and any individual using mobile numbers, email or Facebook, without the need for a bank account number. Recipients have the option to accept the transacted amount through an RHB account or any other Malaysian bank account. In addition, the overall number of steps to complete a transaction has also been reduced by 20%, by enabling shortcuts to favourite transactions.

Other highlights of the app are attractive and exclusive privileges that include discounts and purchases made via the app with products delivered to customers’ doorstep. The app also offers all other mobile banking solutions that users are accustomed to such as prepaid top-up and bill payment facilities as well as the convenience to view their account summary.

Interested?

The RHB Now Mobile Banking App is now available for downloading on Android and iOS.

posted from Bloggeroid

Singapore banks prepare customers for Apple Pay

Source: Apple Singapore website. DBS, POSB, UOB and Standard Chartered will support Apple Pay in Singapore in future.

Source: Apple website. Din Tai Fung, NTUC's FairPrice supermarkets, G2000 and Starbucks are some of the brands which will accept Apple Pay in Singapore.

Apple Singapore's website now has a dedicated page for Apple Pay, including a list of supporting banks and retail outlets. Of the banks listed, DBS and POSB have near-identical images on their websites, while UOB also has a dedicated page up. Standard Chartered has nothing for now, however.

Source: DBS website. A link on the DBS home page leads to a notice that Apple Pay is coming.

Source: UOB website. The UOB image features the Apple Pay logo. 

The DBS page explains that Apple Pay is a fast, secure way to pay that works with an Apple device owner's preferred DBS card. Contactless payments are also possible with the iPhone and Apple Watch.

"Apple Pay is the new, easy and secure way to pay using your UOB debit or credit cards," the UOB page says. "Make contactless payments in shops with your iPhone and Apple Watch. Earn the same rewards for using your physical UOB debit or credit cards."

OCBC is not listed as an Apple Pay partner in Singapore, but does have an Apple Watch app which it launched in late March. The OCBC Apple Watch app allows customers to have an easy, quick and secure access to view their account information and nearest ATM/branch location on their Apple Watch. The features are available on the OCBC Mobile Banking application for iPhone users who have a paired Apple Watch.

Aditya Gupta, OCBC Bank’s Singapore Head of E-Business, said at the time of the app launch: “We are constantly exploring advances in technology to help us make day-to-day banking more simple, accessible and meaningful for our customers. Smartwatches represent the next generation of personal mobile devices, and our Apple Watch app will offer the convenience, security and choice that customers demand when it comes to everyday banking on-the-go. This continuous innovation is what reinforces OCBC’s position as a forward-thinking bank and sets us apart when it comes to delivering the future of banking. We are confident the Apple Watch app will be a big hit with our fast-growing number of customers who are mobile and digitally-savvy.”

According to Apple, Apple Pay is a form of payment that makes uses of mobile devices as well as credit cards. The card details are not shared when Apple Pay is used, and are not stored on the device, so Apple calls it "the safer and more private way to pay". 

Credit cards have their card numbers and owners' identities visible, and swiping a card means exchanging information, Apple notes. Apple Pay creates a unique number for the credit card that is stored in encrypted form on the mobile device, which can be an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. During a purchase, the unique number is used in processing the payment. Since every iPhone and iPad payment requires a Touch ID (fingerprinting) or a passcode, while the Apple Watch must first be unlocked, the payments are more secure, Apple says.

Even if the iPhone or iPad is ever lost or stolen, Apple notes that the user can simply use the Find My iPhone feature to announce that the device is lost. Apple Pay is suspended for a device in Lost Mode, or the device can be wiped clean instead. The iCloud service, accessible through any Internet-connected device, can also be used to stop the ability to make payments from credit cards on an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.

Source: Apple website. Retailers which will support Apple Pay include 7-Eleven, BreadTalk, Giant, and Sheng Siong.

Interested?

According to UOB, Apple Pay is supported on the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus. iPhone SE or Apple Watch, and can be used to pay within apps on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus. iPhone SE or iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 and iPad 3.

Merchants which want to offer Apple Pay can find out more About Apple Pay for merchants

Download or update the OCBC Mobile Banking application from the App Store. To get started, customers need to perform a one-time activation on their OCBC iPhone mobile banking app. Once the Apple Watch app is activated, account information and recent transactions can be viewed on Apple Watch, without the need to login to mobile banking. This service is available for customers using mobile devices such as iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S or iPhone 6S Plus operating on iOS 9 and Apple Watch devices running on WatchOS2, on a single pair of Apple Watch and iPhone devices at one time. No information is stored on the phone or watch and, for increased security, customers can choose to set a passcode on their Apple Watch.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts on how Singtel allows subscribers to pay with a mobile phone and for the UOB YOLO card, which allows card holders to pay with their Android phones

Read the TechTrade Asia blog posts on Adyen's support for merchants which want to offer Apple Pay and on the 2014 launch which announced Apple Pay

Pay for Careem rides with an SMS to Ooredoo in Qatar

Ooredoo has partnered with Careem, the app-based car service, to customers’ travel needs across Qatar.

Careem enables customers to book and pay for a taxi in advance, fixing the journey’s cost and letting users to book on the web, via a mobile app, or by calling a dedicated hotline.

The partnership is the first of its kind, allowing customers to top up their ‘Careem Credit’ accounts via their Hala or Shahry account in denominations of QR 50, QR 100, QR 200, QR 300 or QR 350. As an added bonus, credit cards are not required - they can send an SMS and the amount they would like to top up their Careem account with to 92248, effectively paying for the ride with their mobile phone.

Unlike other car services in Qatar, Careem allows users to choose the car type that best suits their needs, have the option of paying in cash, credit or through Ooredoo, and select from first, business, or economy class cars. The Careem application also automatically locates a user’s address using GPS.

Customers can then follow their driver in real time on the application map, and drivers will send an SMS to let customers know they've arrived. To ensure the best service, users can also rate drivers to help monitor and improve service levels.

Interested?

Ooredoo customers can download the application and sign up using the promo code ‘Ooredoo’ to enjoy QR 60 off their first ride.