Scotland banknotes

Scotland to use De La Rue Safeguard® polymer

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has chosen to use De La Rue’s Safeguard® polymer substrate for its new £5 and £10 banknote designs. RBS, which is the second largest issuer of banknotes in Scotland by volume, announced that the new designs for each note will be revealed within the coming months and intends to…

UK banknote collection

Bank of England £20 will be polymer

The Bank of England has today announced that the next design of the £20 banknote will be printed on a polymer substrate instead of traditional paper. The announcement was made by Victoria Cleland, the Bank of England’s Chief Cashier, at the Follow the Cash 2015 Conference hosted by the University of the West of England…

Mobile payments

UK Contactless card limit rises to £30

From today, shoppers in the UK can make contactless card or mobile payments up to a value of £30 per transaction. Contactless payments are those made without the use of a pin or signature, made by touching a contactless enabled payment card or mobile device against a compatible payment terminal. The limit has gradually risen…

Thailand new 1000 baht banknote

Thailand issues 1000-baht banknote

The Bank of Thailand has issued a new 1000-baht banknote. The new note entered circulation today following an unveiling of the note by the Bank’s Governor, Mr.Prasarn Trairatvorakul, last Monday. The paper banknote contains updated security features to aid both machine and human authentication, including those with visual impairments. The updated features include: A watermark…

Man wearing Nymi Band on wrist

Authenticate payments using your heartbeat

Canadian company Nymi has developed an authenticating wristband which uses a person’s unique electrocardiogram (ECG) reading. According to the company, the wristband allows wearers to “seamlessly unlock devices, remember passwords and more”. Nymi first discussed using their wristband technology as a payment authenticator last year and, following a successful trial, it now claims that the…

China 100 banknote 2015

China to issue new 100 yuan banknote

According to local news agencies, China will soon be releasing a new 100 yuan banknote. The People’s Bank of China, China’s Central Bank, is reportedly planning to release the new banknote in November this year. The new note will contain improved security features to help combat counterfeit banknotes circulating within the country, which has seen…

Maldives 5000 banknote thumbnail

Maldives issue new Safeguard® polymer banknote

The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), the country’s Central Bank, has issued a new commemorative banknote printed on De La Rue’s Safeguard® polymer substrate. The 5,000 Rufiyaa note, which is a new high value denomination, was issued on Monday the 27th July 2015. It is issued to mark the 50th Anniversary of independence of Maldives. The…

Cash payment in market

Ukraine restricts cash use

The National Bank of Ukraine, the country’s Central Bank, has issued a press release stating that it has passed a resolution which restricts the use of cash within the country. The bank has passed a “Resolution On Setting a Cap on Cash Payment” (Resolution No. 210, dated June 6, 2013) whereby cash payments have been…

Euro currency

ECB releases euro counterfeit banknote info

The European Central Bank (ECB) has issued its latest information regarding counterfeit euro banknotes identified during the first half of 2015. The reported figures show a decrease in the number of counterfeit banknotes withdrawn from circulation during the first half of 2015 compared to the last half of 2014. In total, 454,000 banknotes were withdrawn…

Mobile payments

Apple Pay launches in the UK

From today more than 250,000 shops across the UK will begin accepting Apple Pay payments, including Boots, the Post Office, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and London’s transportation network Transport for London (TfL). Users of Apple’s NFC enabled devices can now use them to make contactless payments in retail stores as well as in-app and online…