Last updated: 22 December 2015
After some leading bloggers took us on a tour of Hong Kong’s secret spots and showed off their NFC-equipped devices in the first episode of #MyNFCDay, the next stop on our global NFC roadshow was London. This time, our hosts are photographer Jamie Stocker, Fashion Editor Pandora Sykes and ceramicist Billy Lloyd.
As you’ll see in the video, London – and the UK – is fast establishing itself as a center of NFC technology. In July, Apple Pay was deployed in the UK, with 250,000 payment terminals installed. It’s already taking off, with 70% of the UK’s credit and debit cards compatible with the service. Iconic retailers like M&S, McDonalds, Nando’s and Transport For London have embraced the technology. Watch the video below to see where else NFC is in play in London:
Another exciting innovation is mobile operator EE’s Cash on Tap scheme. Payments of up to £30 are available at over 300,000 locations. Vodafone offers a similar NFC mWallet service called SmartPass, which allows contactless payments for items using a smartphone with an NFC SIM and a prepaid account. Earlier this year Vodafone also announced a solution where users can add their Visa or MasterCard cards to be stored in the SIM and use it to make contactless payments.
Elsewhere across Europe, we’ve been particularly impressed by Spain’s emphasis on NFC technology. Already, 24% of smartphone users make payments through a digital wallet. Spanish supermarket, Bonpreu, has made mobile payments available in 170 stores, whilst Barcelona’s public transport system has made seamless travel a reality through introducing contactless payments throughout the network. Madrid has also embraced NFC technology on its transport network. All these developments make Spain a leader in the NFC field.
If you enjoyed the London tour, make sure you tune in for our next video, which will take us to Chicago!
Why not get involved in #MyNFCDay by showing us how NFC technology is changing your everyday city life for the better? Tweet your video to @Gemalto, or post a comment below containing your film.
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