Google Wallet Pact Is Blackhawk’s Latest Mobile Move (Sept. 4, 2014)
Blackhawk Network has integrated its gifting platform with Google Wallet, enabling wallet users to manage and spend gift cards on their mobile devices.
Worldwide
Cardtronics/Allpoint Network Sign Deals in India, U.K. (Sept. 4, 2014)
Allpoint Network, an affiliate of Cardtronics Inc., and travel services company Thomas Cook of India have announced a partnership giving users of Thomas Cook India’s multicurrency Borderless Prepaid Card surcharge-free access to Allpoint’s network of more than 55,000 ATMs in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K. and Australia.
MCX Unveils Network Brand (Sept. 4, 2014)
Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), the retailer-led mobile payments consortium formed in 2012, has unveiled the name of its new mobile payment network.
FIS to pay €375m for Clear2Pay payments capabilities – gets testing boost as a bonus
FIS has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Brussels-based payments specialist Clear2Pay for some €375 million, saying that the deal will bolster its global payments capabilities.
People on the Move: Jim Ellis, ABnote Custom Card Systems
ABnote Custom Card Systems, a Dallas-based provider of turnkey solutions enabling financial institutions to offer instant issuance of Visa and MasterCard debit and credit cards, has appointed Jim Ellis CEO.
People on the Move: Jim Van Dyke, Javelin Strategy & Research
The CFPB has appointed Jim Van Dyke, CEO of Javelin Strategy & Research, to its 25-member Consumer Advisory Board (CAB).
People on the Move: Anil Aggarwal and Jonathan Weiner, Oak Investment Partners
Private equity firm Oak Investment Partners has named Anil Aggarwal and Jonathan Weiner advisors to its Oak HC/FT Fund, a health care and financial technology investment fund that closed a $500 million round of funding last June.
People on the Move: Paul Waltz, SHAZAM Network
The SHAZAM Network, a Des Moines, Iowa-based debit network, has appointed Paul Waltz president.
People on the Move: Jeff Oleson, TMG Financial Services
TMG Financial Services (TMGFS), a Des Moines, Iowa-based payments solutions provider, has hired Jeff Oleson as marketing analyst, a new position designed to aid the company’s marketing strategy and data-driven marketing capabilities.
People on the Move: John Malnar, David Weiss, Alida Rincon and Wendy Roberts, YapStone
YapStone, a global provider of Web and mobile payment solutions, announced four senior hires.
People on the Move: Lance Taschner, Wave Crest Group Limited
Wave Crest Group Limited, a multi-currency digital payments platform provider, has named Lance Taschner vice president, products and business development, for the company’s U.S. operations.
Isis Becomes Softcard (Sept. 3, 2014)
Isis Wallet is now Softcard. The NFC-based mobile payment initiative backed by AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, was snakebit earlier this year when a jihadist militant group adopted the name Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and the acronym ISIS.
FIS to Buy Clear2Pay for €375 Million (Sept. 3, 2014)
Payment technology supplier FIS will acquire Brussels-based payments processing technologies and services provider Clear2Pay, a company with a strong client base of top financial institutions in Western Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas.
Home Depot Possibly Hit with Breach (Sept. 3, 2014)
Home Depot may have become the latest high-profile retailer to fall victim to a customer data breach.
Innovators’ Spotlight: SimplyTapp
The startup behind three little letters that could be a very big deal in contactless payments.
Money laundering moving to RMB as US cracks down
Money launderers will increasingly move away from the US dollar to the renminbi as US authorities continue to crack down on international banks’ AML systems. The shift will have consequences for London’s aspirations to become a global centre for RMB clearing and settlement.
As global commerce expands, so does payments complexity: How should banks respond?
The increased globalisation of business has opened up new challenges – and opportunities – for companies and the banks that serve them. Corporate treasurers and finance professionals face complexities in the payments arena that range from inconsistencies in local payment processing to new regulations, emerging payment clearing systems and the need to manage geopolitical risk in an ever-expanding array of countries. To address these challenges for their clients, and for themselves, global banks need to invest and innovate to make sure they have the solutions to meet business needs today and in the future.
Corporate connectivity – is Swift the only answer?
Corporates want easier connection to their financial institutions – is Swift the answer or do other options exist?
iPhone 6 to Feature NFC Payments, Says Report (Sept. 2, 2014)
Apple Inc.’s next iPhone reportedly will include mobile wallet functionality—as has been rumored for some time.
Rap Video Explores Origins of Money and Its Future (Sept. 2, 2014)
It’s not emerging payments’ first rap video (that distinction probably goes to Mack Maine’s “All in One Swipe” for the Young Money card), but it’s probably the funniest and, let’s say, most irreverent. (Yes, it includes rap language, so be forewarned if you choose to view it.)
Visa Adds Big Partners to Checkout Shopping Service (Sept. 2, 2014)
Visa Inc. has added top acquirers and e-commerce platform providers for its Visa Checkout service, expanding the service’s reach by nearly 4 million online merchants, according to the payments network.
Alliance Sends 20% of Monitise Workforce to IBM (Sept. 2, 2014)
U.K.-based Monitise and technology and consulting giant IBM have announced an alliance they say will improve IBM’s ability to deliver existing and future Monitise-based Mobile Money solutions to clients. The deal also will significantly increase Monitise’s ability to handle larger custom projects worldwide by combining the companies’ mobile banking, payments and e-commerce technology.
Real-time payments – realities versus myths
With the US consultation on introducing real-time payments announced earlier this year, debate on the subject ramped up considerably – but much of the debate is based on myths and misunderstandings, which means people are in danger of coming to the wrong conclusion, according to a report from Celent’s Gareth Lodge.
Swift’s Chris Church: making plans for Sibos
As delegates finalise their plans to attend Sibos in Boston this month, Chris Church, chief executive Americas and global head of securities at Swift, discusses what they can expect
Ex-Deutsche Bank head trader launches investor app
A new app-based social network that uses gamification concepts to train traders and help them to hone their skills has been launched by a former Deutsche Bank trader.
Data veteran Dalglish takes transformation role at SmartStream
Industry veteran Tom Dalglish has joined SmartStream Technologies as head of transformation services, managing post-trade processing and data management projects for global clients. Initially he will be responsible for managing the back-office transformation programme at an unnamed European bank.
UniRush Strikes Deal with MetaBank, while Considering New Revenue Streams (Aug. 28, 2014)
Meta Payment Systems, a division of MetaBank, has entered into a multi-year agreement with UniRush LLC, to issue the RushCard Visa-branded GPR card.
Citi Wallet Debuts, Leverages MasterPass One-Click Checkout (Aug. 28, 2014)
Ready for the battle of the bank-branded digital wallets? New York-based Citi this week introduced Citi Wallet, to streamline online shopping for credit card customers.
Ingo Money: 85% of OK’d RDC Checks Available in Minutes (Aug. 28, 2014)
More than 85 percent of approved checks sent over the Ingo Money platform, accounting for more than 90 percent of the platform’s total check value, now are funded to customer accounts and available to spend within minutes, according to Ingo Inc., the Georgia-based electronic funding specialist that operates Ingo Money.
Aussie Group to Beef Up Country’s Payments System (Aug. 28, 2014)
Australian banks, retailers and other payments stakeholders have formed the Australian Payments Council to ensure the country’s payments system meets the needs of consumers and businesses by fostering development of innovative, secure and competitive payment services, according to an announcement.
Moral hazard: the ghost of bail-outs past
The bailout of Espirito Santo Bank brings back unwelcome memories of the events of the last financial crisis and raises the spectre of moral hazard returning to the financial services industry both in the UK and abroad. But how far have we really come since those dark days of 2008 and the collapse of Lehman Brothers and how far do we still have to go? A quick look at recent events gives us a good indication.
Report: With Data Breaches on Rise, Issuers Should Up Protections (Aug. 26, 2014)
As payment card data security breaches become more common, financial institutions must step up to protect customer data, a new report says.
CFPB Finalizes Remittance Transfer Rule; Extends Temporary Exception (Aug. 26, 2014)
The CFPB has finalized its remittance transfer rule requiring remittance transfer providers to disclose certain third-party fees and any exchange rates applicable to the transfer.
Domestic Routing Mandate Could Hinder CNP Transactions in India (Aug. 26, 2014)
India’s central bank now requires all card-not-present transactions for purchases within the country to be routed through a bank in India, with funds settled only in Indian currency.
CPI Card Group to Acquire EFT Source (Aug. 26, 2014)
Littleton, Colo.-based card producer CPI Card Group is acquiring EFT Source, a provider of card programs and personalization services for the financial payments industry.
NACS Merchants Challenge Fixed Cost Component, Relent on Network Routing (Aug. 25, 2014)
The merchant groups embroiled in a long-running legal battle over debit interchange fees have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case on the grounds that the Federal Reserve improperly took into account certain costs incurred by card issuers when calculating debit interchange fee limits. However, the retailers have not challenged a separate rule governing the number of unaffiliated debit card networks that must be available for debit and prepaid card transactions, which is good news for card issuers because it gives much longed-for certainty around a challenging issue.
CBA Takes Umbrage with CFPB’s ‘Vague Allegations’ (Aug. 25, 2014)
The Consumer Bankers Association is taking umbrage over what it says are vague allegations by the CFPB’s private education loan ombudsman regarding agreements colleges and universities have with financial institutions to provide financial products to students.
More Time to Comment on N.Y.’s Bitlicense Proposal (Aug. 25, 2014)
In the wake of a flood of interest in a regulatory framework for digital currency companies proposed by New York State’s Department of Financial Services, the DFS has doubled the length of the comment period to 90 days.
Should banks consider domestic payments schemes?
Domestic card schemes have traditionally partnered with MasterCard and/or Visa in an arrangement that leaves the domestic player handling the local transactions and their international partner facilitating and controlling the international business. Should banks work with both or just partner with one of the international schemes?
Viewpoint: Finding the Genius in Mobile Payments
The available technologies that will make payments simpler, cheaper and seamless, and will therefore drive mobile payments, aren’t going away.
