Gizmodo Australia » visa

The World if Technology Stopped 20 Years Ago

Mark Wilson — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:30:00 +0000

A new Visa ad playing in Australia examines a world in which technology never miniaturised nor went wireless. It has a few clever moments. [TBWA\Whybin via psfk]

Techie Visa Card Features Buttons and Screen to Generate CCV Dynamically

Mark Wilson — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:35:12 +0000

In the interest of thwarting credit card theft, Visa is testing some pretty interesting card technology with a handful of European banks. Using what appears to be Visa’s mutant hybrid of a credit card and a pocket calculator, users can enter their PIN into the card itself and have a security code generated on the fly.

The method can stop thieves in two ways. Those who copy down your credit card information will find that your account number and expiration date is not enough to place an order. And those who actually steal your physical card will find that they still don’t know your pin.

While the cards house a 3-year battery, we’re just hoping that they can stand up to a good pocket sweat. Because when we’re roasting away in the summer sun, we need ice cream money to floweth from our plastic like a refreshing, icy deluge. [ITPro via gadgetell]

3M Mobile ID Reader Helps Big Brother Take Your Identity More Efficiently

Gizmodo US Edition — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

3M’s new Mobile ID Reader scans MRZ and RF chip data from passports and visas and immediately checks them against local or international watch lists by using wifi or GSM/GPRS EDGE networks. It seems like a great tool to further make you feel like you’re living in some scary dystopian sci-fi novel, especially when you hear that dastardly monopolist Bill Gates got his little-loved Windows Mobile 6 OS onto the device.

The Mobile ID Reader boasts an 8GB capacity, so when hackers crack the “encrypted formats feature,” they’ll have access to tons of personal and privileged data. Other features include a sunlight-safe touchscreen and a capacitive fingerprint sensor. The device is meant to be used by authorities at event checkpoints, like its first tryout at the Euro Cup 2008 soccer tournament, but it shouldn’t be long before you see it at your local Trader Joe’s, checking up on the hippies. [Wired]

Visa and Eight Banks Test Real-Time SMS Notifications For Transactions

Jason Chen — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:40:00 +0000

Visas and eight banks (”PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the United States, and Royal Bank of Canada, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada”) are testing real-time SMS notifications whenever your card makes one of a few types of transactions. The 2000 pilot beta customers can pick alerts for ATM cash withdrawals, internet or telephone charge, an out-of-country charge or a charge that’s over a pre-defined amount. You can choose to have these alerts go to your phone or your email (if you’re cheap like us and don’t want to burn up all your messages), which you can then immediately use to alert Visa to any fraudulent activity. Great idea or greatest idea? You be the judge. [Slashphone]

Virtual Visa cards for online now available in Australia

Seamus Byrne — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:16:46 +0000

Visa and SCX Global have just launched an awesome new virtual card for those who still don’t like the idea of dropping their credit card details online. More of a virtual debit card, the Visa Virtual Prepaid (or VCARD) works by letting you buy a card with whatever value you want on board (plus a $5.50 setup fee). Pay now, buy later.

You can buy these online, but of course that defeats the point for many this is targeted toward. So you can buy at your nearest Mobil/Quix and then activate the details online. You get a card number, expiry date, and three-digit security code. All smartly delivered part online, part via SMS or email, for extra security.

These are proving popular overseas, with Visa claiming over 100,000 active customers in Ireland where the concept has been live for about two years (and that’s around 15% of the Irish online buying population).

I’m fine with using my card online, but I know this will be a big winner with many older folks – and with no credit checks, bank accounts, etc involved, I can imagine plenty of anti-credit or bad-credit people will be keen on it too. Safe bet for buying from the seedier corners of the net, too. Use once, then dump and never use again? Could these be a tool in the grey markets and black markets of the future? [Virtual VCARD]

Joining 21st Century, Visa Micro Tag Lubricates Payment, But Not Your Ass

Charlie White — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 16:42:19 +0000

Credit card companies are dragging their old hairy asses into an uncertain future, finally and begrudgingly offering the convenience of payments without signature to locations everywhere. Here’s the latest evidence of that from bloodsucking Visa, with its Visa Micro Tag that lets you make micropayments without touching anything, where you nonchalantly wave this sky-blue keyfob and stave off payment for those burgers and fries until the gombeen man comes a-knocking once again.

Oh, you’ll pay for this indirectly; merchants will have to pay for these little trinkets, too—but at least the mini-RFID transmitters will further speed up purchases under $25 that used to require the exchange of filthy, dangerous cash. Never mind that we had a device similar to this stuck to our car’s rear window to pay for gas … eleven years ago. [Geek Zone]