ContactlessNews | Woolworths rolls out contactless payments across retail empire

Monday, May 23, 2011

Woolworths, Australia’s largest supermarket chain, has announced a partnership with Visa to enable PayWave contactless payments across its entire retail empire, according to ITNews.com.

The company is looking for a vendor to supply some 30,000 contactless payment terminals, which will be installed in Woolworths supermarkets, Big W department stores, Caltex petrol stations, Dick Smith technology stores and in liquor outlets BWS, Dan Murphys, Woolworths Liquor. The new terminals will allow customers to tap and pay using their Visa PayWave cards for purchases totaling $100 or less - no PIN or signature required.

A spokesman for Woolworths would not reveal to ITNews whether the company will integrate support for MasterCard’s PayPass, the other major contactless card offering.

Australian customers can obtain contactless PayWave cards from ANZ, NAB, Westpac and Macquarie Bank, as well as a range of credit unions and building societies.

HSBC announced that it will begin the conversion to contactless technology this month, replacing all customer banking debit cards, according to ThinkMoney.com.

The bank will start to roll out the new contactless cards to existing customers whose debit cards are due to expire this month and then continue the process as cards expire. Customers who don’t want a contactless card can opt out by contacting their bank before their current card expires.

Denizbank joins Cep-T Cuzdan NFC payments platform

Denizbank, a private bank with 588 branches in Turkey, has joined Turkcell’s Cep-T Cuzdan platform, enabling its customers to make contactless payments with their NFC-enabled handsets.

Asda supermarket trials contactless payments

Asda Stores Ltd., a British supermarket chain, is planning to trial contactless payment technology in 25 of its stores, according to Computerworld UK.

The contactless systems will be supplied by both Visa and payment value chain Streamline. Customers will be to simply tap the reader with their contactless-enabled card to pay for goods up to £15, rising to £20 June 1, potentially reducing queue times.

OTI to deliver 30,000 NFC readers in the U.S.

On Track Innovations (OTI) has received an order for 30,000 of its NFC and contactless payment readers for deployment in the U.S.

OTI did not reveal who will receive the readers, but assured that the devices would be used to support the migration towards contactless payments and NFC in the U.S.

Comments