Payments


FIS and Vocalink first to supply access to Faster Payments

FIS and Vocalink’s PayPort have become the first to gain accreditation to supply access to Faster Payments through its New Access Model. Both have been awarded the new certificate of technical accreditation “trust mark”, after passing all the required technical tests covering the origination and receipt of payments by a direct participant of Faster Payments. […]

IRS Issues Advice on Deferring Gift Card Income

The IRS has concluded that a company can defer the recognition of advance payment income received from the sale of unredeemed gift cards that are redeemable for goods or services for up to two years.

Samsung Pay launches in China

Samsung Electronics and China UnionPay (CUP) have launched the mobile payment service Samsung Pay in China. The South Korean firm joins Apple in entering the country, as the US giant launched its mobile payment system in China last month. That was also in partnership with state-owned bankcard association CUP. Samsung Pay currently supports credit and […]

Starbucks Adding Chase Prepaid Card to Loyalty Program

Starbucks plans to add another prepaid card to its popular loyalty program, enabling members to earn points for purchases made at other retailers. The Starbucks Reward Prepaid Card is issued by Chase and runs on Visa’s payment network, meaning cardholders can use the card anywhere Visa is accepted and earn loyalty points for Starbucks.

DOJ Drops Case against Apple over iPhone Access

The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its legal claim against Apple Inc. over the FBI’s request that the tech company help unlock the iPhone of one of the shooters in last year’s attacks in San Bernardino, Calif. According to a court filing, the FBI was able to access the device without Apple’s assistance.

What can we learn from Sweden’s domestic payment system quandary?

The Nordics have a unique model for domestic payment processing, but some of the upheavals in the system provide a lesson for other countries debating faster, upgraded payments initiatives. Owned by the eight largest banks in Sweden, Bankgirot is the clearing house for domestic payments in Sweden, and provides the banks with payment product and […]

Judge Rules that Radio Shack Gift Card Holder Won’t Get Legal Fees Paid

A Radio Shack gift card holder’s motion to get his legal fees and expenses paid first in the electronics retailer’s Chapter 11 case has been denied. Consumers with Radio Shack gift cards may file a claim by Dec. 2, 2016and if the claim is judged to be valid, claimants will receive 100 percent of the card balance, according to the Website.

Swift and China’s CIPS partner for cross-border payments

Swift has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China International Payment Service (CIPS Co.) to develop China’s cross-border payments infrastructure. The agreement sets out plans to use Swift to connect China’s Cross-border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) with its global user community. Alain Raes, Swift chief executive of Asia Pacific and EMEA, says there are […]

Diebold and Wincor Nixdorf merger on track, creates world’s largest ATM maker

ATM maker Diebold says it has met the tender condition for Wincor Nixdorf shares as part of a $1.8-billion acquisition. Last year, US-based Diebold agreed to buy out its German rival. The deal will see the creation of an ATM titan worth about $5 billion in sales and give Diebold a stronger presence in Europe. […]

Smartphones? Credit cards are the most mobile payment method!

The world has been talking about “mobile payments” for years, but the phrase means different things to different people. So what exactly are mobile payments? And how much more mobile than cash or cards can payments actually get, asks Philipp Nieland, co-founder and CTO of PPRO Group. Some people believe that mobile payments are those […]

Trade Groups Blast Lack of Consumer Gains under Durbin Amendment

The National Retail Federation and the Electronic Payments Coalition don’t agree on much when it comes to interchange, but the two groups each have reached out to the Fed arguing that consumers aren’t benefiting enough from the cap on debit card interchange.

FTC Investigates PCI Audits

Legal experts suggest that the investigation could provide insight on how the FTC might seek to influence the audit process going forward.

Home Depot Reaches $19.5 Million Deal in Breach Suit

The settlement calls for Home Depot to establish a fund of $13 million to reimburse customers who suffered out-of-pocket financial losses due to the breach, and spend at least $6.5 million to fund identity protection services for affected shoppers.

What is your view on real-time payments? Take our survey and win an iPad!

Banking Technology is conducting a brief survey to find out the industry view on real-time payments and their implications for all parties involved. How ready are you? What are the key drivers for your organisation to embrace real-time payments? Will they displace the existing types of payments? And what are your main concerns when it […]

APEX: Attracting Consumers amid Payment Solution Overload

On the final day of the All Payments Expo in New Orleans on March 23, Sam Maule, emerging payments practice lead at Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group, challenged the audience to change the way they think about providing payments solutions. “You all care [about new payment options], but consumers don’t. They have solution overload,” he said.

APEX Panel: Designing for Success in Digital Gifting

For retailers and brands setting their sights on digital gifting, it’s important to maintain a strong focus on card design and delivery to ensure the best possible customer experience, according to a group of retail and gifting experts this week at the All Payments Expo in New Orleans.

AuthenticID Survives APEX Shark Tank

The sharks were circling at the All Payments Expo in New Orleans this week. To close out the day on Tuesday, a group of eight startups and early stage payment companies pitched their idea or product to a group of three payments industry expert “sharks.” When the waters had calmed, AuthenticID, an Atlanta-based provider of identity verification products, had emerged as the winner.

APEX: Dreaming of the Internet of Things

B2B represents the most promising growth area for Web-connected devices and cars that can order products. And prepaid could be how users pay for such transactions.

Google to bring Android Pay to UK

Google is bringing Android Pay to the UK market – with Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA and Nationwide Building Society the first to support it. This latest move follows Android Pay’s launch in the US in September 2015, and it should be available in the UK “in the […]

Sberbank Kazakhstan opens way to cardless cash withdrawals

Sberbank Kazakhstan and OpenWay have launched a cardless cash withdrawal service on the Way4 platform. The bank’s customers can now get cash at more than 900 ATMs without a card. Instead, a “secret” code is entered at the ATM. The new “cash by code” functionality was developed by OpenWay together with an unnamed third party […]

Payments shake-up in the UK: the baby and the bathwater

Since the introduction of the Faster Payments Service (FPS) the best part of a decade ago the UK has been rather proud of its payments system – industry body Payments UK uses the phrase “world class payments” in its development plans, and successive politicians have trumpeted the country’s prowess in this field, much as their […]

APEX Panel Offers Insights on ‘Expanding the Tent’ of Prepaid

While prepaid cards long have been positioned as transactional tools to help the underbanked make electronic purchases, the future of the sector lies in expanding the definition of prepaid to serve multiple money management needs for a variety of customers—including those who also have a traditional bank account.

Myth-Busting on Expanding into Europe

Craig James, CEO of London-based compliance consultancy Neopay, delivered a talk at the All Payments Expo in New Orleans on March 22 to help companies eyeing Europe as an international expansion market.

Mobile Wallets Need More Than a Payment Button

Mobile wallets command serious buzz in the payment and retail worlds, but at the All Payments Expo Tuesday in New Orleans, experts pointed out that the technology has yet to gain global traction and consumers will need more from such programs than the ability to make purchases.

Swift launches global reference data platform for SEPA IBAN in UK

Swiftref, Swift’s global reference data utility, has delivered the IBAN/BIC reference platform for the UK community under the guidance of Payments UK. The project was initiated in early 2015, with Swift commissioned to design and build the platform. Swift says this new Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) International Bank Account Number (IBAN) Only (Sepaio) central […]

APEX Keynote: Blackhawk’s Roche on Payments as Engagement

As retailers and brands seek to deepen connections with their customers, emerging payment technologies represent a key opportunity for meaningful engagement with consumers, according to Talbott Roche, president and CEO, Blackhawk Network. Delivering a keynote address on the opening day of the All Payments Expo in New Orleans on Monday, Roche explained how the growing ubiquity of mobile devices and the rise of the connected consumer have created myriad new channels for messaging and engagement.

Federal Agencies Issue Guidance on Prepaid CIP

Federal financial institution regulatory agencies on March 21 issued guidance clarifying the applicability of the Customer Identification Program (CIP) rule to prepaid cards issued by banks.

APEX: The Gift Card Opportunity

Experts at the All Payments Expo talk up gift cards, and give advice on how to sell programs to superiors. They also set their sights on digital gift cards.

Neat trick as Hong Kong start-up uses selfies to verify payments

Hong Kong start-up Neat is setting its sights on the millennials’ market and will let customers open a payment account with a selfie. Neat founder David Rosa, a former MD at Citi, says the app and payment card will use facial recognition technology to confirm the holder’s Hong Kong identification card is correct. It’s not […]

Polymer notes pose £45m problem for UK cash machines

High street banks in the UK will need to replace or upgrade thousands of cash machines at a cost of £45 million because they cannot grip the new “slippery” plastic notes, according to Bloomberg. Polymer notes are to be brought into circulation this year by the Bank of England, and the banknotes stay cleaner, are […]

All Payments Expo Kicks off in New Orleans 

The All Payments Expo kicks off today in New Orleans! If you’re at the show, the exhibit hall opens at 10 a.m. Be sure to stop by and see Paybefore at Booth 201 and visit our 2016 Awards Winners Showcase to learn more about this year’s Pay Awards winners. Then, join us to celebrate the 10th annual Pay Awards at 6:15 p.m. to find out who will win top honors.

BPC’s SmartVista powers Warehouse Money cards, vendor’s largest retail project

BPC Banking Technologies says New Zealand’s largest retail chain – Warehouse Group – has chosen the SmartVista payments suite for its financial services business. The initiative is called “Warehouse Money” and offers the retailer’s consumers the chance to save 5% on purchases via a new Visa card or earn “purple dollars” via the Purple card. […]

Chase Bank Kenya migrates card portfolio to OpenWay’s Way4 platform

Chase Bank Kenya has migrated its full card portfolio to the Way4 payment software platform from Electra Card System. The solution is developed by Belgium-based OpenWay and Way4 will support the issuance of prepaid, debit and credit cards — under the MasterCard and Visa brands. Chase Bank Kenya is looking to grow its cards business […]