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UnionPay mobile payments have arrived in North America

The Chinese smartphone transaction system is launching in the western continent with a start in Canada.

China’s UnionPay mobile payments system is now in North America. It took its first steps into the continent by launching in Canada. This mobile transaction service is the international subsidiary of the Chinese interbank network. The network functions to link the credit and debit card payments throughout that country’s banks.

UnionPay International is enormous, placing third in the world as a payment network.

Only Visa and MasterCard are larger payment networks than UnionPay. This is primarily because of its reach throughout China and its recent rapid expansion outside the country. Now that UnionPay mobile payments launched in Canada, its QuickPass system will be available to many Canadian merchants. It will be focused on “daily spending” merchants in that country. This represents the first time the system has entered North America, despite its wide expansion elsewhere.

UnionPay mobile payments can be used with QuickPass enabled smartphones or EMV chip cards.

UnionPay Mobile Payments Headed to North America - North America on GlobeThere is a QuickPass spending cap at $100 (CAD) for transactions without a PIN or signature when using either credit or debit. This is meant to enhance the system’s mobile security. Moreover, it will make it fast and easy for Canadian consumers to use the system without having to enter a PIN.

As of yet, it is not known precisely how many Canadian merchants are interested in these mobile payments. The number of companies participating in QuickPass was not revealed at the launch. However, UnionPay has said that there will at least be more than 70,000 merchants with the required tech. It also pointed out that the infrastructure in the country is well suited to accept contactless payments.

Therefore, there is potential that a sizeable percentage of those with the ability to accept contactless payments will participate.

At the moment, the North American launch of UnionPay mobile payments is exclusive to Canada. However, there is a very large potential audience in the rest of the continent. This may mean that the company is setting up to subtly become a direct competitor with certain leading mobile wallets such as Apple Pay.

Pokémon Go cheats get players booted for life

Some botters and spoofers may have been getting away with it until now, but Niantic is cracking down.

It can be tempting to use Pokémon Go cheats to get ahead in the game. However, cheating comes with a high risk. The developer behind the augmented reality game – Niantic – issued a warning to cheaters.

Cheating while playing Pokémon Go could cause a player to be banned from the game for life.

Pokémon Go cheats have become increasingly commonplace. Honest players are meant to walk around to catch Pokémon. They can also fight their monsters against those of other players at Gyms. However, some players have been finding ways to avoid all the walking to catch more Pokémon. Many have been successful in cheating. That said, Niantic is aiming to bring that to an end. It is not trying to gradually phase out the cheating. It is trying to slam the door on it.

Players around the globe have been using Pokémon Go cheats in the form of GPS hacks and bots.

Pokémon Go Cheats - Mobile GameThis way, they have been able to move ahead in the game. The cheats trick the mobile devices into thinking they are in a different place. Players can remain in their homes while tricking the mobile game app into thinking they are walking around. This allows those cheating players to increase their levels far beyond players who are required to run around their cities to find and catch more Pokémon.

The rash of cheating has caused a considerable uproar among players. Those who have been playing honestly simply can’t compete against those armed with hacks, spoofs and bots. Niantic’s official website now states that violators of the Terms and Services will be penalized. Among the penalties is a permanent ban from the game.

Therefore, if anyone is caught using a location falsifier of any kind, a bot, or even a third-party mobile app that tracks down Pokémon, the result could be a life-long ban from the game.

The developers at Niantic have also reached out to the player community. They have asked for assistance in putting Pokémon Go cheats to an end. The goal is to have players assist in tracking down cheaters around the world. A form is available to anyone who wants to report someone they believe is cheating in order to move ahead in the game.