Aug. 15, 2013 A mobile commerce partnership between Spanish telecom provider Telefónica and two Spanish banks has been given the green light by the European Commission (EC), paving the way forward for what the companies are calling Europe’s first full joint venture between financial institutions and telecom operators. In its ruling, the EC said there […]
By Ginger Schmeltzer, Fiserv In July, The Clearing House announced that it would pilot an “industry-wide dynamic credentialing solution” to improve the safety and soundness of digital payments. According to the announcement, The Clearing House is partnering with its member institutions to create a “secure cloud” that protects mobile payments at the point of sale […]
By Joe DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger The payments startup culture, as it currently exists, is now mature enough that established firms in even highly regulated, slower moving industries can learn a thing or two from how these smaller, faster, younger tech companies think. While size, scope, market, finances and level of success varies widely upon […]
Aug. 14, 2013 EnStream, the mobile payments joint venture between Canadian telecom providers Rogers Communications, Bell Corp. and TELUS Corp., has inked a deal with credit union association Desjardins Group to enable Desjardins’ banking customers to add payment cards to NFC-enabled smartphones. Under the partnership, Desjardins can offer its own branded banking app that’s compatible […]
A new trading app has been launched by Interactive Data subsidiary eSignal, which promises to help traders use the iPad to obtain information and market data on the move. A subsidiary of Interactive Data, eSignal is based in California. The firm’s technology is targeted at making it easier for traders to get access to real-time […]
Canada is seeing a fresh push to promote near field communication (NFC) services after Canadian cooperative financial group Desjardin signed a deal with mobile money solutions provider Monitise and a joint venture with the nation’s three largest mobile operators.
Aug. 13, 2013 Chase today jumped into the mPOS race, offering a free mobile card reader for small business customers that has a few frills but a somewhat more traditional pricing plan, according to an announcement from Chase Paymentech, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s acquiring and processing subsidiary. Like Square, which galvanized the mobile payments market […]
Aug. 13, 2013 Another mobile wallet provider has entered the fray in the U.K. British startup CloudZync has launched its Zync Wallet app for iOS and Windows phones, with an Android version to follow soon. Thus far, 280 merchants in London have signed on to accept Zync Wallet, which works by generating a QR code […]
One recent study shows encouraging signs about prepaid adoption, while another reveals surprisingly low usage among minority populations, including Latinos, African- and Asian-Americans, suggesting that the industry has some work to do in further penetrating these demographic markets.
One in three US adults now uses mobile banking in their day to day lives– a rise of almost double since 2011, according to new research from the US Pew Research Centre.
Aug. 12, 2013 American Express Co.’s prepaid brand Serve will get a slot in the Isis mobile wallet when the mobile commerce venture rolls out nationally later this year, which could boost Serve’s awareness among its intended audience of underbanked consumers. Today JPMorgan Chase & Co. also said it plans to expand its relationship with […]
Aug. 12, 2013 Shoppers in the London borough of Richmond now can use their photos to verify their identity when making in-store purchases with PayPal’s mobile app. A new pilot in the company’s U.K. home base enables a user to find nearby shops and restaurants that accept PayPal, then check in by clicking on the […]
Aug. 12, 2013 Google is discontinuing NFC redemption for gift and loyalty cards stored in Google Wallet. Late last week, the company sent an email to users who had added gift or loyalty cards to their Wallet app, saying NFC redemption of such cards will end on Aug. 21. Cardholders have until that date to […]
US-based Kearny Federal Savings Bank has chosen to install bank processing and mobile payments technology from specialist firm Fiserv, which it says will help the bank increase efficiency and attract new customers.
Industry experts air their opinions in the ongoing debate about whether NFC will dominate mobile payments. By Kate Fitzgerald, Emerging Payments Editor From the moment near field communication (NFC) popped onto the payments industry radar about a decade ago, debate has sizzled around if, when and how it could revolutionize payments—adding a powerful stream of […]
Although the network EMV liability shift is about two years out, card manufacturers already are consulting with their U.S. issuing clients to help them make decisions now about how they will approach the transition to EMV.
Aug. 8, 2013 Payments processor PreCash has unveiled a new virtual payments platform the Houston company says will help fix the “broken” consumer online and mobile bill payment experience. Dubbed PreCash PayConnect, the new platform is built on PreCash’s cloud-based processing system and offers mobile and online payment for more than 10,000 service providers, including […]
French railway operator SNCF has adopted a mobile payments system from Californian tech firm VeriFone Systems, which allows customers to pay for railway tickets using a mobile device.
Telecoms firm Orange is planning to launch a set of mobile payment services in Botswana and other countries in Africa and the Middle East, which it says will easy access to funds around the clock and bring new point of sale, online and ATM transaction options to customers.
Western Union has launched a mobile money service in Nigeria, which it says will help boost financial inclusion and provide new methods of money transfer for people sending and receiving money to Africa.
Aug. 6, 2013 Norwegian telecom provider Telenor and DNB, the country’s largest bank, are teaming up to launch an NFC-based mobile wallet. Dubbed Valyou, the wallet is managed through a smartphone app that enables users to make purchases up to NOK200 (US$33.76) via contactless tap; for higher amounts, users must enter a PIN. After a […]
Aug. 6, 2013 A growing number of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are using m-payments and social networks to improve efficiencies and increase customer traffic. Forty percent of businesses surveyed accept POS payments using a mobile card reader attached to a smartphone or tablet, and 16 percent of respondents plan to add this capability within […]
Aug. 5, 2013 Telecom and payment services provider IDT Corp. has added a new international money transfer service to its Boss Revolution payment platform. The remittance service currently is live for recipients in Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. IDT Payment Services—the IDT Corp. subsidiary that runs Boss Revolution—said within […]
Aug. 1, 2013 Isis may be the first whole-ecosystem mobile payments system to go national when it expands to all regions later this year, and begins its toughest challenge yet: building scale. The NFC-based mobile wallet venture, led by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile U.S. and Verizon Wireless, on July 30 announced plans to roll out across […]
Aug. 1, 2013 MasterCard is bringing its MasterPass digital wallet to the U.K., with several major retailers onboard as launch partners. The cloud-based service, available since earlier this year in the U.S., Canada and Australia, enables consumers to store payment and loyalty card information, along with shipping and billing address details, and make purchases online […]
All of the UK’s mobile network operators have extended their carrier billing offerings by connecting to Gemalto’s direct billing platform, the mobile security solutions provider announced.
July 31, 2013 Merchants, which have continued to oppose the Durbin interchange fee caps set by the Fed, won a huge victory in court today. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington, D.C., ruled that the Federal Reserve Board of Governors overreached in its interchange and network routing rulemaking. The decision, which, if upheld, will […]
With an evolved platform and new B2B focus, NYC firm is making a buzz in “Engagement Banking”.
By Kate Fitzgerald, Emerging Payments Editor The cost of complying with anti-money laundering (AML) rules and requirements is rising, just as the expansion of related anti-bribery and corruption laws around the world is placing unique new demands on global financial organizations, according to a new survey. International banks are devoting more personnel, departmental resources and […]
July 29, 2013 Two-thirds of companies in a variety of sectors reported suspected fraud attempts in the last 12 months, according to a report by IDology Inc., an Atlanta-based identity-verification company. More than one-third of respondents reported that these suspected attempts have increased in the last year, according to the survey’s findings, while 50 percent […]
Strong customer authentication and account monitoring are keys to preventing tax refund/benefits fraud on prepaid cards. By Loraine DeBonis, Editor-in-Chief As identity theft increases in the digital age, fraud perpetrated with stolen identities has risen dramatically. And, tax refunds have become a target for fraudsters. Tax-related identity theft jumped more than 650 percent between 2008 and […]
July 2013 SIMalliance, a London-based nonprofit trade association supporting the creation, deployment and management of secure mobile services and applications, has announced its board of directors for the next 12 months. The four permanent SIMalliance board seats, retained by the founding SIMalliance member organizations, will continue to be served by: Frédéric Vasnier, senior vice president, […]
July 2013 C-SAM, a Chicago-based provider of mobile transactions technology, has announced that Kurt Weiss and Conrad Sheehan have joined the company as managing director of global financial institutions and vice president and general manager of strategic initiatives, respectively. Weiss will work closely with financial institutions and networks deploying C-SAM’s mobile transaction platform, which enables […]
In our world of 100%+ mobile penetration, companies in Latin America will soon need to think like their next wave of prospective customers, most of whom are unbanked. This means understanding their lifestyles, habits and needs in order to decide how to best generate value.
July 29, 2013 Cash will be knocked out of its position as the No. 1 form of payment in Canada within the next five years, if present growth trends in mobile, prepaid and online payments continue, a new report suggests. All forms of electronic payment are experiencing substantial growth in Canada as consumers’ use of […]
July 29, 2013 Two-thirds of companies in a variety of sectors reported suspected fraud attempts in the last 12 months, according to a report by IDology Inc., an Atlanta-based identity-verification company. More than one-third of respondents reported that these suspected attempts have increased in the last year, according to the survey’s findings, while 50 percent […]
Orange and oil and gas group Total have forged a partnership in Africa and the Middle East, providing access to Orange Money services at all Total service stations in the regions, spanning a total of 13 countries to date.
A mobile wallet offering built by Kalixa Group claims to be able to turn just about any phone – including the iPhone – into an NFC payment device. The toolkit has launched in the UK, marking the first step in the firm’s plans for Europe-wide NFC mobile payments.
July 23, 2013 A new smartphone-based prepaid wallet launching in the U.K. will enable iPhone and Android users to pay for in-store purchases via tap using NFC technology. First launched in the U.S. last August, the Paybefore Award-winning moneto digital wallet is a joint venture between Kalixa Group, DeviceFidelity and MasterCard. The wallet is powered […]
July 23, 2013 A new prepaid MasterCard is coming to Slovenia, now that Prepaid Financial Services (PFS) has unveiled what it calls the nation’s first domestically issued prepaid card bearing the MasterCard brand. The SmartPayCard Prepaid MasterCard is available in two versions: SmartPayCard Simple, a non-reloadable virtual prepaid card, which can be loaded up to […]
