Sale of standard tickets at MRT stations to end by March 2022
SINGAPORE - Sale of standard tickets - limited use paper tickets - at MRT stations will be progressively phased out between January and March 2022. This comes as most commuters are already using stored value cards or account-based ticketing such as contactless bank cards. Standard tickets were introduced to allow commuters to pay for their ride when the MRT system began operations in 1987, but now fewer than one in 1,000 trips are paid using these tickets, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in August. The LTA said on Friday (Dec 3) that the move will start with the Thomson-East Coast and Downtown lines from Jan 10. This will be followed by the Circle and North East lines on Feb 10, and the North-South and East-West lines on March 10. The LTA has also reduced the minimum top-up amount for stored value cards such as ez-link cards at ticketing machines to $2, down from $10 for adults and $5 for student concession cards. "This will allow commuters who have limited cash on hand to top up, continue their journeys and enjoy the cost savings," said the LTA. The move to phase out standard tickets - purchased for single or return trips - because of low usage was announced earlie...
BOB Financial, NPCI and JCB partner to launch Bank of Baroda Credit Cards on RuPay platform
TOKYO & MUMBAI, Nov 29, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB), has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch BoB Credit Cards (Easy and Premier variants) on the RuPay platform. Launched on the JCB network, both cards support global acceptance. These cards come with various attractive benefits for the customers such as 5X Reward Points in selected merchant categories, fuel surcharge waiver, pre and post purchase EMI offers, up to 3 complimentary add-on credit cards for family members and several exciting merchant offers enabled both by BFSL and NPCI. BFSL and NPCI have utilized FirstVision(TM) from Fiserv, a core card processing platform for cards and transaction management, with a set of APIs and micro-services for seamless digital enablement.The Easy Cardholders will earn 1 Reward Point for every INR 100 spent. Using this card for grocery purchases, shopping at departmental stores, and movie tickets, the cardholder will earn 5X Reward Points (5 Reward Points) on every INR 100 spent.Users of Premier Credit Card will earn 2 Reward Points for every INR 100 sp...
Amazon bans Visa cards in UK, stepping up battle with payments giant
NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Amazon.com will stop accepting Visa credit cards issued in Britain from next year because of high transaction fees, the e-commerce giant said on Wednesday (Nov 17), escalating its fight with the credit card company. Separately, Amazon confirmed it was in talks with several payment networks, including Mastercard, American Express and Visa, as part of its "standard process" for reviewing its United States co-branded credit card. Bloomberg reported earlier on Wednesday that Amazon was looking to move its co-branded credit card from Visa to Mastercard. In recent months, Amazon has introduced surcharges on customers using Visa credit cards in Singapore and Australia, citing high fees. Amazon said the British decision take will take effect on Jan 19, 2022. In a statement, it said such charges should be "going down over time with technological advancements, but instead they continue to stay high or even rise". Visa last month began charging 1.5 per cent of the transaction value for credit card payments made online or over the phone between Britain and the European Union, and 1.15 per cent for debit card transactions, up from 0.3 per cent and 0.2 per cent respectively....
Ether Cards NFT Platform Rewards Early Users with Dust Token Airdrop
Every Ether Card holder has received and will continue to collect Dust ($Dust) tokens that can be used to exchange for 27 CryptoPunks worth around $10,6 million Singapore / SEAPRWire / October 11, 2021 / – Ether Cards, the leading dynamic NFT platform whose technology has brought real-world utility to the creation of dynamic NFTs of Steve Aoki, LaMelo Ball, and Mike Tyson NFTs, has airdropped 27 million Dust tokens to the entire Ether Cards NFT collection which consists of 10,000 unique NFTs. The 27 million Dust can be exchanged for up to 27 CryptoPunks starting on October 8, marking it as one of the largest airdrops of 2021. The 27 CryptoPunks up for exchange are worth around $10,6 million, according to the NFT price estimation service DappRadar. The 27 CryptoPunk pool can be viewed on Larva Labs website. This airdrop marks the significance of Ether Cards’ position in the Dynamic NFT space as it prepares for the public launch of its NFT self-serve platform. Ether Cards’ self-serve platform allows any artist, brand, athlete, or public figure to create, launch and manage dynamic NFTs to engage, grow, and monetize their communities. Andras Kristof, Ether Cards Founder and CEO, says, ...
3 Tips to Find the Best Credit Card for Your Expenses
The financial market is filled with credit cards of all types such as rewards credit cards, cash back credit cards and more. But whenever you decide to select one, you might get questions like “which credit card in Singapore should I select?”, “Which is the best credit card for my expenses?”, and so on. In this article, we will offer you answers to such questions. You can get the most out of your credit cards if you use them smartly. Now, to know which credit card in Singapore will fit your requirements the best, you can check out some of the tips given below: Will a credit card fulfill my needs? Before you select a credit card, you must list down the reasons for which you want to apply for one. Do you need a credit card to pay your utility bills, grocery bills, or do you want one to get discounts on your online shopping spends, staycations, and more? Once you have a clear understanding of your needs, you can filter out the best credit cards from the wide available range of cards and make your choice easily. Privileges and rewards Many credit cards in Singapore are loaded with privileges and rewards. These added perks can help you save money and get a host of lifest...
Citibank Singapore: 4 Reasons why you should apply for a Citi Credit Card
Owning a Citi Credit Card can give you the financial liberty to shop to your heart’s content, pay your bills on time, dine at your favourite restaurants, book staycations for weekend getaways, and more. Apart from these, Citi Credit Cards also offer a well-curated suite of benefits and privileges. From this portfolio of cards, you can select the one that aligns to your needs to make the most out of it. There are different types of Citi Credit Cards that are designed to cater various requirements. From rewards credit cards to cash back credit cards, you can choose to fit your requirements list. Read along to know more about why you should apply for a Citi Credit Card. Reasons to Apply for a Citi Credit Card To help you decide with ease, we have listed some of the reasons to show you why you should apply for a Citi Credit Card: Citi Cash Back Credit Cards Citi Cash Back Credit Cards offer impressive cash back on your daily spends. For example, if you apply for the Citi Cash Back Card, you will earn bonus cash back whenever you use it to pay for your groceries, petrol, and dining bills. This way, while you pay for your everyday needs, you can also save money. You can even check o...
Special edition National Day ez-link cards depicting Singaporeans’ pandemic resilience to go on sale on Friday
SINGAPORE - A set of two limited-edition ez-link cards, which will go on sale on Friday (July 30) to commemorate Singapore's 56th birthday, will allow buyers to tap a feel-good mood of optimism and positivity. Local artist Lee Kow Fong, 50, more commonly known as Ah Guo, designed and illustrated the cards, which showcase Singaporeans' spirit of resilience during the challenging pandemic times and the hope of emerging stronger. There are two designs in each set. The Vibrant Future one depicts children at play, a reflection of Ah Guo's aspiration for the future generation to grow up with optimism and happiness. The Higher We Go design, set in the heartland, captures people celebrating National Day, with a young father lifting his daughter up - symbolising Singapore's future potential. Card issuer EZ-Link partnered with Ah Guo to feature the two designs in line with the theme for this year's National Day - Together, Our Singapore Spirit. The artist came to fame during the circuit breaker last year for his designs and illustrations of everyday scenes and people. "I have always wanted to use my art as a means to inspire people, and help them stay calm and positive," he said in a stateme...
NFT Startup Ether Cards Set for Launch on March 18
NFT gamification startup Ether Cards is launching on March 18, 2021 Singapore / SEAPRWIRE / March 18, 2021 / Ether Cards' main sale will be commencing, providing the general public an opportunity to buy into the future of NFT gamification and value generation at 9AM EST, on March 18. This date marks the start of a long and exciting journey, initiating with the release of 10,000 exclusive NFTs that make up the Ether Cards limited-edition collection. Approximately 17% of the cards were sold in presale raising $3.7 million in ETH. The remaining cards will be available over the next three weeks, or until sold out. Prices start at 0.3 for Common cards increasing all the way to the top of the price bracket for OG cards, valued up to 55 ETH. The cards will offer two primary benefits: First, they will feature art from a range of emerging and renown artists alike, including Ethereum founding member Anthony D'Onofrio and a range of creatives who have previously worked with many giants of the entertainment world such as Sony Studios, Marvel, and Netflix. Their craft will be available both as individual, standalone artworks and combined in layers through the innovative use of 'Accidental Art'....
Adult ez-link cards can now be topped up remotely through an app
SINGAPORE - Commuters now have the option of topping up their ez-link cards remotely through a mobile application. This dispenses with the need for using top-up machines, and will allow users to apply for automatic top-ups, and to cancel lost cards within 30 minutes. Commuters will also be able to top up the cards of family members, and track their transport spending through the application. The cards are managed by users through the ez-link application or the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) SimplyGo application. In a statement on Thursday (Jan 28), LTA described the move as part of efforts with EZ-Link to make commuting more convenient. In 2019, LTA set up an account-based ticketing system, which allows commuters to use bank cards and mobile wallets to pay for public transport as opposed to only having a card-based ticketing system - which relied on every commuter carrying a separate, purpose-made card. A new or updated ez-link card will now also function on this account-based system. The mobile application can also be used to block further transactions in the event cards are misplaced. In a separate statement on Thursday, EZ-Link chief executive Nicholas Lee said: "Together with...
Uzpromstroybank launches JCB merchant acquiring operations across the Republic of Uzbekistan
TOKYO & TASHKENT, Jan 12, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and JSCB "Uzbek Industrial and Construction bank" are pleased to announce the start of JCB merchant acquiring operations across the Republic of Uzbekistan.The introduction of a visa-free regime in 2018 with Japan, as well as the cooperation of Uzpromstroybank with JCB International Co., Ltd. (Japan) will expand the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, increase cashless money circulation and improve the quality of customer service.In 2019, JSCB "Uzpromstroybank" launched a project to modernize card processing, the goals of which were the issuance of international cards with an electronic PIN code, multicurrency accounts and a credit limit on the card, and provision of service using international contactless card systems including JCB and the expansion of the acquiring network. As for today, the project has been implemented and testing and customization of new card products are underway.In January 2021, a new processing "WAY4" has been launched in a productive environment, where all JCB cardholders will be a...
A New Way of Gifting in the ‘New Normal’: Giftano Launches New 360 Gifting Marketplace
SINGAPORE, Dec 9, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Giftano, the leading online gifting marketplace in Singapore, has launched a new 360 online gifting e-shop expanding its offering to include the totally new Giftano Gifts, an array of great physical gifts. Giftano Gifts is an expansion alongside the established Giftano Gift Cards selection. With this, Singapore will now have its first and only specialised gifting e-commerce marketplace, providing the full gifting experience for both giftgiver and recipient.Giftano now offers online personalised service throughout the gifting process. As a buyer, you are recommended great gift ideas by Giftano's newly enhanced search function, regardless of whom the gift is for. Make your purchase with just a click and all items get sent over directly to the recipient speedily, some even on the same day, a true life-saver. All items are beautifully packaged and accompanied with your personal physical greeting card message. The Giftano e-shop ensures the moment of surprise and joy of getting a gift is still there for the recipient, as it should be!A one-stop place for all your gifting needsWith more than 1000 different gifts from 150+ merchants on the platfor...