A new study has found that the number of consumers making contactless payments via their mobile handsets will reach 148 million this year, with Apple and Samsung together accounting for nearly 70% of new customers.

Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Pay Wave, PayPal, credit/debit/savings card, cash and gift cards – they are all designed to remove money from the consumer as painlessly as possible.

Mobile payment is the next big thing. Almost any Android, NFC enabled, smartphone has the capability to use Google’s Android Pay.

Use of smartphone payment systems in Australia are growing – especially in a mobile first world.

According to the latest research from Kaspersky Lab and B2B International – 65% of Internet users are worried about online financial fraud, yet 11% of consumers use no security solution at all to protect themselves.

Apple Pay has launched in Australia, but with only two other members on its team at present, it is playing in a restricted field for now.

If you’re in Australia, and you have a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch, and you’re an AMEX customer, Apple Pay is coming before year’s end.

Apple has detailed a long list of security fixes contained in iOS 9.1. Vulnerabilities in watchOS have also been addressed.

Mobile payments globally will rocket to US$1 trillion in value by 2017, up from an estimated $500 million this year.

Listed online payments provider Mint Payments (ASX:MNW) has sealed a deal with eWAY to license Mint’s ‘card present’ capability to distribute their own mobile point of sale solution.

BlackBerry owners can finally pay via Paypal’s mobile app, with Paypal now on all platforms in its quest to remain the premier online payment system.

Australian cloud Point-of-Sale company Kounta has hired a 14-year IT industry veteran to lead the company in the United States as it gears up for a launch into the American market next year.

The anticipated introduction of Apple Pay in Australia could lead to increased costs to consumers and merchants, according to Roy Morgan Research.

Just because Australians love iPhones and contactless payments, that doesn't mean all three go together in Apple's eyes.

“Wallet, your days are numbered.” Your iPhone will now be an NFC enabled iWallet.

Apple is a secretive company, but in the modern world it’s hard to keep thing under wraps. We pretty well knew what Apple was going to announce.