Ubiquity Global Services Expanding to Portugal (Nov. 4, 2014)
True to its name, Ubiquity Global Services, a New York-based financial services and payments service company, is becoming more ubiquitous globally.
Payments
UniRush Using Enacomm Biometric Tech to Protect Cardholders (Nov. 4, 2014)
Biometrics have been getting a lot of attention as a means of payments authentication, but UniRush LLC wants to use the technology to bolster security and improve the customer self-service experience for its cardholders.
MasterCard and Visa Drop Interchange Rates in Canada (Nov. 4, 2014)
MasterCard Canada and Visa Canada are reducing interchange fees to an average net effective 1.5 percent rate for the next five years for consumer credit cards.
Ripple protocol integrated into risk management system from Yantra
Yantra Financial Technologies, an electronic payment systems developer, has integrated its latest system for risk scoring of payments with the Ripple real-time settlement protocol. The integration means that institutions using the Ripple protocol can analyse transactions in seconds, including what other payments the customer recently made and potential concerns regarding a specific transaction. Risk levels can be assigned to certain transactions based on pre-determined criteria.
Prepaid Accounts Topic of Next Week’s CFPB Hearing (Nov. 3, 2014)
After a somewhat vague notice of its next field hearing, the CFPB updated its blog to specify that “prepaid accounts” will be the topic of the hearing, scheduled for 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, Nov. 13, in Wilmington, Del.—an exact location has not been given.
Money20/20 Keynote: Lawsky Floats ‘Transitional’ BitLicense for Startups (Nov. 3, 2014)
During a Money20/20 keynote, New York State Superintendent of Financial Services Benjamin M. Lawsky raised the possibility of a new addition in the proposed rules; licensing specially designed for virtual currency startups.
CPI Card Group Enables Banks to Participate in Any Wallet; Launches EMV Prepaid Card in Canada (Nov. 3, 2014)
CPI Card Group launches a mobile platform that enables NFC payments using the secure element or host card emulation. The Littleton, Colo.-based card manufacturer also announced its first EMV prepaid cards in Canada.
U.K. Consumers Prefer Buying, Giving Physical Gift Cards (Nov. 3, 2014)
As more aspects of life leave the physical world and enter the digital one, the majority of U.K. consumers still prefer buying and giving physical gift cards, rather than buying and sending them electronically, according to a recent survey by global gift card provider and program manager Stored Value Solutions (SVS).
Softcard Users Can Pay at McDonald’s Restaurant, Drive-Thru (Nov. 3, 2014)
Softcard announced a deal with QSR giant McDonald’s that adds 14,000 more U.S. locations to the mobile wallet’s acceptance network.
The Network Effect: Ingo Money Acquires Fuze
Ingo Money, known for its mobile check deposit capture technology and Good Funds Network, is planning to acquire Fuze Network, a payments technology company that enables loads to more than 1 billion bank-issued cards at thousands of retail locations.
CFPB Field Hearing Announced: Is the GPR NPRM on Its Way? (Oct. 30, 2014)
Yesterday the CFPB posted on its Website the announcement of its next field hearing, 11 a.m. EST, Thursday, Nov. 13, in Wilmington, Del.
MCX CEO Addresses Hack, Rumors and Competition (Oct. 30, 2014)
It’s been a rough week for Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), the retailer-led mobile payments consortium.
Study: Rate of Un/Underbanked U.S. Households Still Hovers around 28% (Oct. 30, 2014)
While more than a quarter of American households still were either unbanked or underbanked last year, as was the case in 2011, the proportion of unbanked households declined to 7.7 percent or 9.6 million households, compared with 8.2 percent in 2011, according to the latest report from the FDIC.
Ubiquity Supports RushCard with Dispute, Chargeback Services (Oct. 30, 2014)
Ubiquity Global Services, a New York-based financial services and payments service company, will be the sole provider of dispute and chargeback services to UniRush LLC.
Financial Services for the non-wealthy
The hypothesis that seems to be gaining ground is that banks have a wider responsibility in society. If we believe that, then part of their responsibility must clearly be to provide banking products and services that serve the financial needs of the less affulent.
Blog: One Apple Pay User Takes a Bite
Those of us immersed in payments may have a unique perspective on Apple Pay, but what about other folks? I asked one self-proclaimed Apple “fan boy” to give the mobile wallet a test drive.
Blog: Unlocking the Real Value of Mobile Payments
Giving consumers what they really need and want from mobile payments will require making payments as invisible as possible.
Blog: India’s E-Commerce Boom Paves Way for Digital Money
India is on the brink of a huge economic transformation and making money digital is a crucial part of the solution.
MCX Speaks Out: Confirms Exclusivity, Defends Data Security, Privacy (Oct. 29, 2014)
MCX sets the record straight on CurrentC, including exclusivity and data security, following Rite Aid-CVS/pharmacy showdown with Apple Pay.
Apple Pay Passes 1 Million Mark in 72 Hours, Plans ahead for China (Oct. 28, 2014)
More than 1 million credit cards were activated within the first three days of the Apply Pay mobile wallet’s Oct. 20 debut, Apple CEO Tim Cook told attendees at the WSJD Live Global Technology Conference this week.
NRF: Holiday Sales to Jump 4.1 Percent; Consumers Clamor for Gift Cards, Uneasy with Paying by Phone (Oct. 28, 2014)
Retail holiday spending in the U.S. is expected to jump 4.1 percent to $616.9 billion in 2014, marking the first increase of more than 4 percent since 2011.
Putin Delays Security Deposit Payments for Visa, MasterCard (Oct. 28, 1014)
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week signed a law giving Visa and MasterCard a five-month reprieve from paying a huge security deposit for operating in Russia, according to The Moscow Times.
MasterCard Invests in Mozido’s Global Expansion Plans (Oct. 28, 2014)
MasterCard was one of several investors to lead a round of Series B funding that brought in $185 million for Mozido LLC, a startup that focuses on cloud-based, white-label mobile payments services for banks and merchants.
Apple Pay/Pharmacy Flap Shows Consumer Interest in M-Wallets (Oct. 27, 2014)
Consumers who want to use Apple Pay at the POS may be a little confused as two large pharmacy chains reportedly accepted some initial payments with the mobile wallet that went live last week, but no longer are.
M&A Update: Blackhawk, Green Dot Complete Respective Acquisitions (Oct. 27, 2014)
Blackhawk Network and Green Dot Corp. recently have completed their acquisitions of Parago Inc. and Santa Barbara Tax Products Group (TPG), respectively.
FDIC Committee to Address Unbanked/Underbanked National Survey (Oct. 27, 2014)
FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion will meet this week to discuss the results of the 2013 National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households.
Awards Night Honors Industry Achievements (Oct. 27, 2014)
Several Paybefore Award-winning companies also were recent recipients of accolades at the Emerging Payments Awards held in London last week.
Visa’s Frew: Banks Moving GPR to the Forefront Will See Results (Oct. 23, 2014)
As GPR cards go mainstream for certain consumer sectors, banks that bring GPR cards to the forefront of their branch marketing efforts are seeing positive results, according to Cecilia Frew, Visa’s head of U.S. prepaid products.
CEO Nelms: Don’t Know When but Discover to Participate in Apple Pay (Oct. 23, 2014)
David Nelms, CEO at Discover Financial Services, kept his cards close to the vest about the payments network’s involvement with the recently launched Apple Pay—but Discover’s participation does seem likely, based on his comments during a Q&A with investors on this week’s earnings call.
U.S. Treasury Selects Banking Up to Help Consumers Build Credit (Oct. 23, 2014)
Finding ways to use GPR prepaid card usage data as a tool to help thin- and no-file consumers build credit has been an enticing yet elusive goal for the industry for years.
MasterCard partners for fingerprint-reading contactless card launch in 2015
Following a live pilot with Norway’s Sparebanken, MasterCard has confirmed a partnership with Zwipe to launch a contactless payment card featuring an integrated fingerprint sensor.
InComm Teams Up with Retailers to Fight Fraud
InComm is helping retailers fight several prevalent forms of prepaid card fraud by explaining what to look for and how to fight it.
Viewpoint: Prepaid Program Managers Must Be Exam-Ready Bank Partners
In light of the intense regulatory focus and pressure on prepaid cards, it’s time for program managers to step up and manage their own compliance to the point of being “exam-ready.”
Groups Appeal to Pres. Obama on Data Security Responsibility
Retailers and financial institutions struggle with costs of data breaches.
MasterCard Exec: Apple Pay Launch Is ‘Catalytic’ Event (Oct. 21, 2014)
Apple Pay is a “catalytic” event likely to change the U.S. payments landscape, though it may take time to see its full effect, according to Matt Barr, MasterCard’s new U.S. head of emerging payments.
Wave Crest Launches MyFare Prepaid Card for Fleet Owners (Oct. 21, 2014)
Wave Crest Group Ltd., a Gibraltar-based multicurrency digital payments provider, has launched the MyFare debit card in the U.S., which enables fleet owners to pay their drivers instantly on a personalized prepaid card.
FSC’s Strategic Plan Reinforces Gibraltar as Location of Choice (Oct. 21, 2014)
The Gibraltar Financial Services Commission last week published its 2014-2017 Strategic Plan, which is designed to reinforce Gibraltar’s position as a destination of choice for businesses looking for European headquarters.
Money 2020 Announces Inaugural Event in Europe (Oct. 21, 2014)
Weeks away from its Money20/20 event in Las Vegas, Money2020 LLC has announced Money20/20 Europe, a conference and exhibition focusing on the opportunities and challenges specific to payments in Europe.
MasterCard, Zwipe Test Fingerprint Authentication for Contactless Payments (Oct. 20, 2014)
In a bid to make contactless payments of any size possible without a PIN, MasterCard and Zwipe, a Norwegian developer of payment cards with biometric sensors, have developed what the companies are calling the first contactless payments card featuring an integrated fingerprint sensor.
Green Dot Expands Retail Footprint with ACE Cash Express Deal (Oct. 20, 2014)
Longtime NetSpend partner ACE Cash Express has signed a distribution agreement with Green Dot Corp., making the check cashing giant and Paybefore Award-winning prepaid pioneer an authorized retailer for the Green Dot Reload Network.
