There are a number of reasons people prefer eftpos. Watch the videos to find out more.

Let’s congratulate the lucky winners in the eftpos merchant point-of-sale promotion!

In 2011, we gave participating Australian retailers the opportunity to win a $2,000 eftpos-enabled debit card simply for displaying eftpos-branded items around their store.

To be in the running to be one of 10 prize winners, all they needed to do was upload a photo of their effort to our website.

The response was overwhelming and there were so many creative efforts.

Visit our website now to see the entries and winners.

People can now link their smart phone to a virtual wallet, then use it to immediately and securely pay for purchases using ‘near field communications’, or better known as NFC.

The most obvious appeal of mobile payment is the way it could speed up small day-to-day purchases we make on everyday items like transport tickets. But so far, apart from isolated trials, Australia hasn’t been at the forefront of implementing this new and convenient technology.

As long ago as May 2010, the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry introduced an NFC pilot in the city of Nice. Under the pilot, the Government equipped both the city’s public transport system and more than 200 merchants with the capacity to take NFC payment. Since then it has rolled out similar trials in several French cities including Paris.

But despite heavy Government-backing, French consumers haven’t exactly been rushing to take up NFC. In fact by late 2011, only 4% of the French public admitted to having ever used contactless payment to make a purchase.

In South Korea it’s a different story. The country is already home to more than 5 million NFC-enabled smart phones and consumers can pay by mobile at as many as 200,000 contactless POS terminals.

It helps that Korea is home to Samsung and LG (which, unlike Apple already include NFC technology on their phones). It also boasts some of the world’s most sophisticated telecommunications networks.

Perhaps that’s why, unlike the French, Koreans have incorporated mobile payment into their everyday life, so that it’s already common practice to pay for everything from small grocery purchases through to taxi rides.

So when mobile payment does hit our shores, will Australians immediately embrace it like the Koreans? Or will we hold back like the French?

Predicting the future of the payments landscape is no longer just about predicting innovation within a payment channel. We’re seeing growing diversity in the development of user facing technology and applications, from an array of mobile wallets using near field communication, through to the enablement of social channels like Twitter and Facebook for the sharing of money. At the same time we are naturally seeing the decline in volume and value of traditional paper-based payment options like cheques. Click here for the APCA 2011 Annual Review.

Consumer convenience and security appear to be the dominant driving forces – how do you see the landscape changing in the next ten years? What new innovation are we yet to see, and will there be any further paradigm shifts?

The recent Digital Money Summit featured presentations focused on payment innovation within the ever-evolving digital environment. Whilst innovative thinking was the focus, there were also fundamental questions raised around digital payment ecosystems. There were also many varied views with regard to the likely adoption of mobile payments by consumers and merchants in 2012 and beyond.

We are in a period of much change as organisations from small APP developers through to large companies like Google, innovate with consumer-facing technology. How disruptive? A recent Reuters article highlights the power of mobile applications at point-of-sale within the hands of consumers.

According to a Sydney Morning Herald article, Australia has the second highest uptake of smartphones in the world, and while greater payment convenience, simplicity and security is being placed into the hands of consumers, the paradox is that the payment ecosystem is becoming more complex.

The critical questions for players in the digital payment space include:

• Who’s responsible for protecting the customer and payment data?
• Who does the customer call when something goes wrong?
• How is interoperability achieved between the telco, financial institution, payment scheme and customer?
• How do we cater for multiple security requirements from the telco, issuer and scheme?
• How is interoperability achieved (i.e. TSMs, OS, SE)?

And of course, the over-arching question is – will consumers and merchants embrace this new payments experience and over what period?

We’re heading towards a tipping point and have a glimpse of what the future holds. Exciting times ahead.

One of the eftpos Giveback’s most enthusiastic supporters is renowned chef Justin North. To show just how much he believes in the eftpos Giveback on 15 December 2011 Justin joined the eftpos team at The Salvation Army’s Street level community centre, where he cooked a festive feast for more than 100 of Sydney’s most underprivileged people.

But it’s not just Justin’s great work we’d like to acknowledge. We also want to give a huge thanks to the Australians who pressed for good between 20 November 2011 and 17 December 2011. Your support is the reason we raised so much.

The Salvos will use the donation to continue helping families experiencing extreme hardship.

This is our final blog of 2011, so we’d also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support. Have a safe and happy festive season.

The eftpos team

Thanks to your support, eftpos Giveback has already raised more than $680,000 for the Salvation Army.

But with less than six days left, we know we can still do more. All you need to do is keep pressing CHQ or SAV for every purchase until 17 December, and together we’ll give The Salvos their best Chrissie ever.

The Salvation Army’s Major Jeff Winterburn said he’s delighted with how much money has been raised so far.

“Sometimes we forget the true meaning of Christmas,” he said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the presents and parties.”

Major Winterburn says “We’re delighted, and if Aussies continue to embrace this initiative, eftpos can give much, much more.”

For shoppers, Major Winterburn also says that the other real benefit of using eftpos at Christmas time is that it helps avoid overspending.

“Christmas can stretch the budget for everybody, and this makes it especially hard to give to others at Christmas. That is the great thing about the eftpos Giveback. It’s as simple as pressing CHQ or SAV and eftpos will do the donating with the funds going directly to The Salvos.”

Why not press CHQ or SAV when you’re:

• buying your morning coffee
• grabbing lunch
• dashing out to buy those last minute pressies, or
• getting a new frock for the office Christmas party.

Come on, Australia let’s get creative with how we ‘Press for Good’ and make these last few days count.

The eftpos Giveback has been running for 16 days now, and we are pleased to say that we have raised a HUGE $422,000.

Well done, Australia. Keep checking back at eftposaustralia.com.au for updates on the amount donated.

A week ago, we launched the eftpos Giveback campaign. We are pleased to report $198,000 has been raised already for The Salvation Army, thanks to the many Australians who have chosen to ‘Press for Good’ so far this Christmas.

Well done, all. This is a great result!

The Salvation Army will use the money raised to do numerous good works across initiatives that will benefit families Australia-wide, including the Oasis Youth support network, aged care and drop-in centres.

eftpos and The Salvos thank everyone who has already pressed for good but please keep going because the more you press CHQ or SAV when you make a purchase, the more eftpos will donate.  It’s easy to be involved – and a great feeling to be able help raise money for those in need this festive season.

Stay tuned at eftposaustralia.com.au for regular updates on the amount donated.

This Christmas, eftpos Payments Australia Limited (ePAL) takes special pride in launching the inaugural eftpos Giveback. It’s a great cause that will help thousands of Australians in need through The Salvos, which helps more than one million disadvantaged Australians each year, providing basic necessities for people who are hungry, homeless, abandoned or abused.

The Giveback will run from November 20 to December 17. All you have to do to support the Giveback is ‘Press for Good’ – in other words, choose to pay by CHQ or SAV. It’s that easy. Every time you do, eftpos will make a donation to The Salvos.

On Tuesday November 22, we launched the eftpos Giveback at Customs House in Sydney, with The Salvation Army Choir and the eftpos team singing carols round the giant Christmas tree. Leading Australian foodie and Chef Justin North was able to join us and we are grateful to him for lending his support behind the campaign.

While we can’t predict how much in the way of donations the Giveback will generate, we hope to donate more than $200,000. Australia, let’s band together and keep pressing CHQ or SAV so we can give more.

eftpos has been the trusted way Australians pay for more than two decades, with more than 5.6 million transactions conducted each day. This year we’re starting a new tradition that will help Australians in need each Christmas.

Stay tuned at eftposaustralia.com.au for regular updates on the amount donated as well as photos of the eftpos Giveback launch.