PayTech


People on the Move: Hervé Pierre, SIMalliance Board of Directors

SIMalliance, a London-based nonprofit trade association supporting the creation, deployment and management of secure mobile services and applications, has elected Hervé Pierre to serve a one-year term as the organization’s chairman of the board.

Company on the Move: YapStone, Deloitte Technology Recognition

YapStone, a global provider of Web and mobile payment solutions, has been named to the Deloitte 2014 Technology Fast 500, an annual ranking of the 500 fastest-growing North American companies in the technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology sectors.

More Must Reading from the CFPB (Nov. 20, 2014)

Lost among last week’s excitement of the issuance of the long-awaited NPRM on prepaid was another CFPB publication that’s a must read—“Study of Prepaid Account Agreements.”

Industry Leaders Outline Fraud-Fighting Techniques to U.S. Senate (Nov. 20, 2014)

Prepaid industry leaders, which included representatives from InComm, Blackhawk Network and Green Dot, met with members of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging during a hearing yesterday to outline how they’re working to prevent fraudsters from using prepaid debit cards to swindle consumers, particularly phone scams perpetrated against the elderly.

Apple Pay Faces Same Hurdles as other Mobile Wallets (Nov. 20, 2014)

Apple Pay has generated significant buzz since it launched on Oct. 21—and more than 1 million credit cards were registered in the payment app within 72 hours—but Leon Majors, president of the payments practice at Phoenix Marketing International, presented research in Chicago last week at BAI Retail Delivery 2014 that suggests Apple may have some of the same difficulties that have plagued other mobile wallets, including low acceptance.

Google Wallet for Digital Goods to Be Discontinued (Nov. 17, 2014)

Merchants using “Google Wallet for digital goods” to accept online payments on their Websites soon will have to find a new provider, and consumers no longer will be able to check out with the Google Wallet for digital goods when buying digital merchandise.

Banking and biometrics – a whirlwind romance?

As Bob Dylan, famously sang, The Times, They Are A-Changin’. Once, the tools required to carry out a bank raid usually comprised a shotgun, old stockings and a bag labelled “swag”. Today, it’s a laptop, computer programming skills and patience. And the nature of the crime is changing too – previously, the goal was often to get away with a few thousand pounds, before lying low for a while. Now, the “prize” sought may be the theft of millions or the personal details of thousands, to be then sold on.

Industry Experts Say CFPB’s NPRM Part of Prepaid’s Evolution, Leveling of Playing Field

The prepaid industry was well-represented at today’s CFPB field hearing on prepaid accounts in Wilmington, Del. The consensus among industry experts was that the popularity of prepaid products continues to grow and that the NPRM is the next step in the evolution of the industry, as the rules could create a level playing field for prepaid providers.

CFPB Issues Prepaid Account NPRM: Converging Prepaid into Bank Regulation Mainstream

My original intent, based on attending the field hearing in Wilmington, Del., this morning, was to summarize the key elements for publication today. But, that won’t happen. The 870 pages that comprise the NPRM suggest why it took the CFPB extra time to create and why it will take industry time to understand everything the NPRM covers and, of course, the implications of the proposed rules.

Viewpoint: All I Want for Christmas Is a Gift Card

Blackhawk Network research reveals the reasons consumers selected gift cards as No. 1 on their wishlists for the eighth year in a row, and why gift givers are catching up to what recipients really want.

Letter from the Editor: Back in Action

It’s an odd juxtaposition that the day before our nominations are due for the 2015 Paybefore Awards, the CFPB is holding a field hearing on prepaid. My hope is that the visionaries that make Paybefore Awards a remarkable annual event also make their voices—and those of their customers—heard, as the rules go from proposal to regulation.

Square’s New Reader Accepts EMV Chip Cards (Nov. 12, 2014)

Square, considered by many to be a trailblazer in the arena of mobile card readers that plug into smartphones, today has announced the San Francisco-based company is accepting pre-orders from U.S. merchants on a new Square reader that accepts EMV chip cards.

People on the Move: Gary Norcross and Frank Martire, FIS

Payment technology supplier FIS has appointed Gary Norcross president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2015. Frank Martire, who has served as the company’s CEO for five years, will assume the role of executive chairman.