The China Academy of Science (CAS) is poised to launch a payment app next year that would use facial recognition for authentication. When made available, users will be able to install the app and link it to their bank accounts or credit cards. The app would require users to take a photo of themselves in order to complete online payments. The authentication system is being touted as highly accurate and would take just a second to recognize the user. The news was first reported by Science and Technology Daily. The accuracy of the authentication feature can be attributed to the …

Flash-sale apparel retailer JackThreads sees its growth stemming from driving shoppers to buy while on their mobile devices, says Jonathan Newcomb, the retailer’s vice president of acquisition and retention marketing. There’s a good reason for that thought—mobile is at the heart of the retailer’s business. JackThreads, No. 175 in the Internet Retailer 2015 Mobile 500, gets 68% of its total traffic from mobile devices and mobile accounts for half of the retailer’s revenue, with the brand’s mobile app accounting for 90% of those sales.

Most Canadians will be armed with their smartphones while shopping this holiday season and likely won't pull the trigger on purchases without launching a few quick searches first, suggests new research. In an online survey of nearly 1,000 Canadians conducted last month, a majority of consumers said they planned to rely on their digital devices while shopping even more than they did last year, according to a report prepared by Tapped Mobile, App Promo and BrandSpark International.

Google on Tuesday started charging customers for its fast delivery service, Google Express, as the world’s largest Internet search provider stepped up competition withAmazon.com The service lets shoppers order products online from local stores run by more than 35 retailers, including Costco , Walgreens and Staples, for delivery the same day or the next. Sameer Samat is vice president of Google Shopping and oversees product search advertising as well as the delivery business. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he discussed the company’s retail strategy. The combination of mobile-friendly search, online ordering and fast delivery, he said, may persuade …

While smartwatches are expected to give mobile payments a much-needed boost, a new report suggests that consumers are not exactly clamoring to pay for purchases using one of these devices. Because using a smartwatch at the checkout is easier than having to pull a smartphone out of a pocket, some industry watchers expect consumers will be quicker to embrace smartwatch payments than smartphone payments, which have been slow to catch on.

Apple Pay, Cupertino's foray into mobile payments, is expected to launch Oct. 18, according to a leaked Walgreens internal memo obtained by MacRumors.The memo said that the launch of Apple Pay will reinforce Walgreens "position as a leader an [sic] innovator in the mobile world." Walgreens is one of the retailers participating in the Apple Pay program. Other Apple Pay participants include Macy's, Bloomingdales, Staples, Subway, McDonald's, Target and Disney. It was unclear from the memo whether Oct. 18 is the date for Apple's Pay launch at all of these retailers or just Walgreens.

Pay with Hailo, a service that uses Apple’s iBeacon technology to let users of the Hailo taxi hailing app pay drivers with their smartphone, is experiencing “steady growth”, Naoise Irwin, the company’s VP of strategic initiatives, has told NFC World+ — and Hailo now plans to roll out the service across its growing international network. Launched in Ireland and Boston in early September, Pay with Hailo uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology built into drivers’ and passengers’ iPhones to recognise when a passenger is in a Hailo driver’s vehicle and invite them to connect and pay for their ride via a one-click …

Auto shoppers using a smartphone are more likely to share vehicle information on social media when they have a satisfying online experience with an automotive manufacturer (OEM) or third-party automotive site. According to the J.D. Power 2014 Automotive Mobile Site Study, one-third (33%) of shoppers say they "definitely will" share vehicle information via social media after an exceptional experience (overall satisfaction scores of 901-1,000 on a 1,000-point scale), compared with only 3% of shoppers after a poor experience (scores of 500 and lower). Among shoppers using an OEM or third-party automotive website, 45% say they either "probably will" or "definitely …

Apple Pay, before its launch itself, has received backing from major banks such as Chase, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC and USAA. These banks are all in praise of Apple’s highly secure payment process. Apple Pay is incorporating multiple security features which include Touch ID fingerprint authentication, NFC, Secure Element data storage and tokenization for transaction processing. Top banking officials believe that Apple Pay has the potential to make tokenization a part of the standard banking model.

GameStop is gearing up for the upcoming holiday season by announcing updates to its mobile application, designed to heighten customer engagement through enhanced personalization features and user-friendly interface. GameStop fans that download the updated app will also be eligible to win 1,000,000 PowerUp Rewards points. The retailer sees more than 50 percent of its online traffic come from mobile devices, and aims to make its digital experience even more rewarding for consumers.