Wirecard Teams With BASF Digital Farming; BPP Unveils Digital Wallet In Brazil

Welcome to The Axis, your late look at payments news from around the world. Coverage includes Germany-based Wirecard’s collaboration with BASF Digital Farming GmbH. In addition, Grab plans to start offering solutions and privileges from United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) in Singapore, Fintech firm BPP has unveiled a digital wallet dubbed BPP Pay for the Brazilian market and passengers from China can now make payments with WeChat Pay at an airport in Italy.

Germany-based Wirecard is teaming up with BASF Digital Farming GmbH in an effort to provide the farming solution with services for digital payments, the company said in an announcement. Through the company’s payment ecosystem farmers can process Mastercard and Visa payments around the world. As it stands, the digital-based farming services market is forecasted to top $9.53 billion by 2023 per a study from MarketsandMarkets in 2017. BASF Global Head Commercial Operations Digital Farming Andre-Georg Girg said in the announcement, “The digital transformation of agriculture has opened up a number of opportunities for us to expand our digital service offering.”

In Singapore news, Grab plans to start offering solutions and privileges from United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) through its mobile app, the bank said in an announcement. Users will be able to make an application for a UOB One Card by scanning a quick-response (QR) in Singapore’s Grab cars or through the Grab app. In addition, cardholders at UOB will earn cash back as well as a signup offer for a credit card worth vouchers for Grab rides.  UOB Head of Personal Financial Services Singapore Jacquelyn Tan said in the announcement, “Our alliance with Grab enables us to create greater value for our customers who commute a lot. In the past year alone, UOB cardmembers took an average of close to a million Grab rides a month.”

And, in Brazil, FinTech firm BPP has unveiled a digital wallet dubbed BPP Pay that has contactless payment technology, according to reports. As of the moment, the wallet only accepts BPP-issued cards. The company said the wallet can now be used by customers who have an Android operating system, but it will be made available to those with the Apple IOS “in a second phase.” BPP Products Director José de Carvalho Júnior said, according to reports,  “the Brazilian market has grown in relation to mobile transactions … we are again innovating in the environment in which we operate.”

In Italy, passengers from China can now make payments with WeChat Pay, the International Airport Review reported. The first payment made through the system at the airport reportedly ooccurred in the tax free mall’s Michael Kors store. The move comes as the airport becomes “increasingly geared” toward passengers from China.  Aeroporti di Roma’s Sales Manager Giorgio Moroni said, according to reports, “Fiumicino Airport will be enriched with a new electronic payment option fully dedicated to Chinese passengers. With this method, passengers will be quickly and securely able to make payments in their own currency.”