News

Mastercard Plans To Say Goodbye To Magnetic Stripes In 2024

The technology that makes magnetic stripes possible dates back to the 1960s.

Published

3 years ago

August 19, 2021

Joanna Melki

Mastercard

The pandemic has changed a lot of things, including the way we pay for goods and services. According to the Mastercard New Payments Index, 1 billion more contactless transactions were processed in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. What’s more, 45% of all in-person checkout transactions in the second quarter of 2021 were contactless.

Now, the global payments and a technology company has announced that it plans to start phasing out the use of magnetic stripes on its credit and debit cards in 2024.

As explained in the official announcement, the magnetic stripe will first start to disappear for Mastercard payment cards in regions where chip cards are already widely used, such as Europe. In regions where magnetic stripes are still used relatively often, the phasing out process will be delayed by 3 years. From 2029, no new Mastercard credit or debit cards will be issued with a magnetic stripe.

“It’s time to fully embrace these best-in-class capabilities, which ensure consumers can pay simply, swiftly, and with peace of mind,” says Ajay Bhalla, president of Mastercard’s Cyber & Intelligence business. “What’s best for consumers is what’s best for everyone in the ecosystem.”

Also Read: Abu Dhabi Has Dropped Business Setup Fees By Up To 94%

The technology that makes magnetic stripes possible dates back to the 1960s, and we now have much more convenient and, above everything else, safer alternatives. One such alternative is the global EMV chip standard, which was introduced in the 1990s, enabling cardholder details to be held more securely on small integrated circuit chips embedded into cards.

Cards with EMV chips are currently responsible for 86% of in-person card transactions. We also have contactless payments, which can be made either using a card or with a modern, NFC-enabled smartphone. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, many policymakers and retailers have been endorsing contactless payments as the best payment method available, and the trend will likely continue even in the future.

News

Yango Showcases AI Robots Amid Rising Fulfillment Costs

The company is debuting the high-tech solutions at this year’s Seamless Middle East event, where attendees can experience live demonstrations.

Published

7 hours ago

May 15, 2024

Nour Nasir

Yango

Global tech company Yango is debuting its AI-driven warehouse robotics and pick-and-place solutions at the Seamless Middle East event, which is currently running in Dubai (May 14-16). The technologies aim to combat the rising fulfillment costs that are burdening the e-commerce, retail, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.

In e-commerce, fulfillment now represents one-third of all operating expenses. Global giant Amazon saw fulfillment costs rise from 31% of net sales in 2021 to 36% in 2023. Yango’s solutions could provide a much-needed remedy to these escalating figures.

At Seamless Middle East, attendees can experience live demonstrations of Yango’s robotic pick-and-place hardware. This technology leverages “advanced computer vision” to allow stationary robots to perform like human operatives while still managing to move 800 items per hour.

Yango has also introduced stock-taking, goods, and pallet-moving solutions to streamline inventory management and fulfillment. The company’s robots can autonomously navigate warehouses and work together with other machinery to get tasks done faster and more accurately.

Also Read: Plans Underway For Massive Middle East Autonomous Freight Network

Alexei Filippov, Head of Global Business Development at Yango Robotics, said: “As fulfillment costs continue to rise, our warehouse robotics solutions come at a crucial time to help businesses not just survive but thrive. Our new robotics pick-and-place platform, mobile warehouse robotics solutions, and other technologies show Yango’s commitment to innovation and efficiency [and] we’re excited to debut [them] at Seamless Middle East”.

Yango is also showcasing further technologies at the exhibition, including autonomous delivery robots and the AI-powered White Label App and AI Shelf Monitoring System for retail applications.

To learn more about Yango’s solutions and their capabilities, visit the company’s stand (H2-G36) during Seamless Middle East, running until the end of May 16, or find Yango’s thought leaders at one of the event’s panel sessions.