PayTech


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.

Skrill, Microsoft Expand Access to E-Commerce in Africa (Nov. 11, 2014)

Skrill, provider of online payment technologies to merchants and consumers, and Microsoft4Afrika, an initiative launched last year to help accelerate Africa’s economic development and to improve its global competitiveness, together are launching an e-commerce portal enabling Africans to use their mobile wallets to buy from global Internet brands, access free educational content and use Microsoft software.

Treasury, FinCEN Seek Balance between Doing Business and Compliance (Nov. 11, 2014)

The U.S. Treasury and FinCen are addressing the importance of money services businesses (MSBs) to the financial system in the wake of reports that banks are refusing to do business with categories of companies, such as remittance companies and check cashers, because of the perceived risk of doing business with them following government agencies’ aggressive efforts in fighting money laundering.

CARTES Paris Showcases Payments Industry’s Diversification (Nov. 6, 2014)

Attendees at the 29th gathering of CARTES concluding today in Paris noticed the event’s growing emphasis on mobile payments, as well as another striking feature of the show—drawing 20,000 attendees from 140 countries—is the diversity of products and business models mobile payments support.