PreCash Sees Bill Pay as Acquisition Gateway (September 2013)
Houston-based provider launches bill pay/mobile app combo as ‘ideal hook’ to establish customer relationship that expands to other financial services, including prepaid.
Mobile
Retail banking: underwriting the revolution
New technologies are transforming the consumer experience in retailing and in banking. For banks to remain relevant, they need to work with innovators, writes Paul Skeldon
Barclays builds on Pingit head start
Barclays is making a determined effort to capitalise on the two-year lead it has built up with its Pingit mobile payments application with two new applications intended to allow retailers to integrate mobile payments into their services.
Standard Chartered backs mobile wallets
Standard Chartered has launched a mobile wallet service targeted at corporate clients in Kenya. The service has been developed in partnership with Safaricom, which operates the mobile money transfer service M-Pesa. The bank hopes the deal will herald the start of a major drive to open up financial inclusion in emerging markets.
New Age of Bank-Technology Partnerships (September 2013)
The partnerships banks are forming with financial technology suppliers today look very different than routine client-vendor relationships of past decades, and one of the most interesting aspects of the trend is how both sides are transforming each other.
Visa, Docomo Prep Virtual Prepaid Card in Japan (Sept. 17, 2013)
Visa’s Japanese subsidiary Visa Worldwide (Japan) Co. is joining with mobile telecom provider NTT Docomo Inc. to launch what the companies are calling Japan’s first mobile-based virtual prepaid card for online shopping.
Capital One Exits Isis Mobile Wallet (Sept. 16, 2013)
Capital One Financial Corp. this week ends its trial run with the Isis Mobile Wallet, raising questions about what combination of payment cards Isis will have when the wallet officially launches later this year.
Pingit Adds Pair of Mobile Shopping Features (Sept. 16, 2013)
Users of Barclays Pingit U.K. mobile money transfer app have two new ways to make online purchases, with a pair of features being launched this week.
MasterCard: Prepaid is Fastest-Growing GDV Category as Digital Payments Grow Worldwide (Sept. 12, 2013)
Prepaid accounted for the strongest growth rate in gross dollar volume (GDV) for all payment card types during the first half of this year for MasterCard Worldwide, as prepaid card use cases expanded worldwide, the network told investors yesterday.
Sprint ‘Boosts’ Wallet with Remote Check Deposit Service (Sept. 12, 2013)
Sprint’s Boost Mobile Wallet users now have a way to turn checks into instant funds with a new service dubbed Quick Check, which uses remote deposit capture to deposit checks into customers’ wallet accounts.
Blog: Never Count Microsoft Out: Microsoft-Nokia Acquisition Analysis (September 2013)
Mary Monahan, Javelin Strategy & Research
Microsoft’s canny purchase of Nokia for the bargain price of $7.2 billion reopens the rumors that Stephen Elop’s move to Nokia was a Trojan horse, intended to open the doors to the announcement last week.
Blog: Fraud Trends to Watch
By John Dancu, IDology Fraud? Oh no … couldn’t happen to me! Is that how you or your organization approaches potential fraud? Well … if it is, it might be time to take a closer look. In our recent “Fraud Report,” which polled senior executives from our customer base of financial service providers and companies […]
PayPal Preps ‘Hands-Free’ Payments; Apple Debuts Fingerprint Security (Sept. 10, 2013)
PayPal could give mobile commerce a big boost with the introduction of PayPal Beacon, a service it’s piloting this fall that will enable customers who opt in to pay “hands-free” with their PayPal mobile apps at participating merchants.
Payments in Transit: Ventra Rolls Out in Chicago, Octopus Unveils Mobile Plans (Sept. 10, 2013)
Two major mass transit contactless payment initiatives are speeding forward this week, with the debut of Chicago’s Ventra system and the announcement of a smartphone-based payment feature for Hong Kong’s transit network.
Sumitomo to Launch payWave-Based NFC App (Sept. 10, 2013)
Japanese banking group Sumitomo Mistui will launch a new NFC payment service that will be available through all three of the country’s mobile network operators and more than 30 NFC-enabled smartphone models.
PayPal’s Mobile App Redesign Touts POS Acceptance, Merchant Deals (Sept. 9, 2013)
PayPal is making a splash with a redesign of its mobile app that pulls together several of the company’s latest initiatives into a digital wallet emphasizing consumer benefits, including instant discounts and the ability to pay at the POS.
Vodafone, Visa to Pilot New Zealand NFC Wallet (Sept. 9, 2013)
Vodafone and Visa are teaming up to launch an NFC-based mobile payment pilot in New Zealand.
mPOS Takes to the Sky with Delta In-Flight Sales Platform (Sept. 9, 2013)
Delta Air Lines has equipped more than 19,000 of its flight attendants with Nokia Lumina mobile devices with mobile POS capability for the airline’s new in-flight purchase program.
Mint Wireless Unveils New Platform for Australia, New Zealand Payments (Sept. 4, 2013)
Australia-based mobile payment processor Mint Wireless has announced the launch of a new platform the company says will simplify the integration of card payments across multiple mobile devices and platforms.
More Payment Terminal and Software Providers Support Isis SmartTap (Sept. 4, 2013)
Isis says it’s bolstering its market position before its national rollout with a handful of payment terminal manufacturers and software providers that are integrating Isis SmartTap capabilities into a range of POS systems, including integrated POS terminals and vending machines.
MasterCard, Blue Label Telecoms Tackle Card Acceptance in Rural South Africa (Sept. 3, 2013)
Blue Label Telecoms today announced a partnership with MasterCard that will expand electronic payment terminals to 22,000 small traders and rural shops in South Africa.
PreCash Eyes Bill Pay/Mobile App Combo to Drive Customer Relationships (Sept. 3, 2013)
Payments processor PreCash is combining a mobile app with its bill payment technology to help consumers pay bills with cash, which the company hopes will translate to a broader financial services relationship with PreCash.
Win Me Over: What Will it Take for Consumers to Embrace Mobile/Digital Wallets? (September 2013)
What consumers want from mobile wallets is a question not easily answered, nor is it clear whether any of the mobile wallets developed so far will hit the jackpot in creating a consumer experience compelling enough to change entrenched habits.
Banco Santander Partners with iZettle in Mexico, Oberthur in Chile (Sept. 3, 2013)
Less than three months after iZettle’s first venture outside of Europe, the Swedish mobile payments company again has partnered with Spain’s Banco Santander to launch its m-payments service, which enables customers to accept card payments with their smartphones or tablets and an iZettle card reader, in Brazil.
MasterCard, C-SAM Continue Global Wallet Initiative with Japan Launch (Aug. 29, 2013)
Aug. 29, 2013 MasterCard is joining with mobile payment technology provider C-SAM and mobile wallet service provider DNP to bring a white-label NFC-based mobile wallet service to Japan. The service will integrate MasterCard’s PayPass Wallet Services contactless payment technology with C-SAM’s mobile transaction platform and DNP’s mobile wallet services, enabling merchants to offer their customers […]
Report: India’s Prepaid Card Market to Grow 40 Percent Through 2017 (Aug. 29, 2013)
Aug. 29, 2013 Prepaid cards are booming in India, where the prepaid card market is on track to grow 40 percent over the next four years, according to a new report from the Noida, India-based firm RNCOS Research. In its Indian Prepaid Card Market Outlook to 2017 report released this month, the consulting firm said […]
Fiserv Banks on Rise of Tablets with New Mobile Banking Service (Aug. 29, 2013)
Aug. 29, 2013 Financial services technology provider Fiserv Inc. is seeking to capitalize on the recent boom in tablet-based banking with a new turnkey mobile banking app specifically for tablet users. The Mobiliti: Tablet service is being offered to banks and credit unions, which can use the system to offer their tablet banking customers a […]
TSYS Inks Deal with Discover to Process In-Store PayPal Transactions (Aug. 26, 2013)
Aug. 26, 2013 Another element of PayPal Inc.’s in-store payments strategy fell into place today with the announcement that TSYS has inked an agreement with Discover Network to process PayPal transactions at U.S. brick-and-mortar locations as part of the PayPal in-store payment acceptance partnership announced last year with Discover. TSYS’s involvement will provide an expanded […]
Vodafone Expands Availability of M-Pesa (Aug. 26, 2013)
Aug. 26, 2013 Vodafone continues to expand availability of M-Pesa throughout India as it readies the launch of the money service in at least two other countries by the end of this year. As an expansion of its partnership with ICICI Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, M-Pesa is now available to consumers in Delhi, […]
PayPal Inks Deals with MICROS, Mercury Payment Systems (Aug. 22, 2013)
Aug. 22, 2013 MICROS Systems Inc. and PayPal Inc. this week announced a strategic global collaboration that will pave the way for thousands of restaurants and other hospitality industry businesses using MICROS’s payment platforms to add PayPal as a POS and mobile app payment option. MICROS, used in more than half a million businesses around the […]
MCX Picks FIS to Develop M-Commerce Platform (August 2013)
July 11, 2013 Another major piece of MCX’s jigsaw puzzle fell into place today with the announcement that payments technology provider FIS will provide the payments processing platform, including transaction routing and settlement, for the retail consortium’s evolving mobile commerce system. Jacksonville, Fla.-based FIS will execute mobile payments at participating retailer outlets in combination with […]
Isis Tightens Mobile Wallet Race with Serve Integration, Chase Commitment (August 2013)
By Kate Fitzgerald, Emerging Payments Editor Isis, the mobile wallet system backed by AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, Verizon and three major card networks, is gathering steam as it nears its national rollout, with a new co-branding effort with American Express Co.’s Serve payments platform providing the latest push forward. Amex earlier this month announced plans to […]
Q&A with David Hunter, Ukash
Ukash recently has undertaken a slate of major new initiatives, expanding its Paybefore Award-winning platform to offer a full spectrum of services to cash-preferred consumers.
Groupon Gets Physical, Adding Traditional POS to Merchant Offering (Aug. 20, 2013)
Aug. 20, 2013 Groupon bucked the mPOS system from the outset with its unique merchant pricing strategy, and its latest move to embrace traditional payment terminals seems equally novel as mainstream acquirers like Chase Paymentech are now getting into dongles. Groupon last week said it will add traditional credit card terminals to its merchant payments […]
MasterPass Adds 16 Australian Payment Providers (Aug. 20, 2013)
Aug. 20, 2013 Sixteen Australian payment service providers have added MasterCard’s MasterPass as a payment option for their electronic merchant clients. Announced at the Online Retailers and E-Commerce Expo in Sydney, the agreements brings MasterPass to thousands of online merchants, who will add a MasterPass button to their online checkout, enabling shoppers to make purchases […]
M-Payment Platform Targets Colombia’s Unbanked Mobile Users (Aug. 20, 2013)
Aug. 20, 2013 A mobile payments network aims to bring financial services to Colombia’s unbanked consumers and move the country’s economy away from cash. The Miami-based network, known as YellowPepper, thus far has signed up 12 Colombian banks for its system, which includes a virtual payment card, P2P and mPOS capability, according to a report […]
Demystifying m-commerce
Payments made via mobile devices are fast becoming de rigueur as tablet sales are expected to overtake personal computers by 2017. Shane Fitzpatrick addresses five common myths about m-commerce and how to capture online revenues. Smartphones are already more popular globally than desktop PCs and of the 1.875 billion phones to be sold in 2013, […]
Equity Firm Shells out EUR600 million for Majority Stake in Skrill (Aug. 19, 2013)
Aug. 19, 2013 One of Europe’s largest private equity firms has acquired a controlling stake in U.K.-based online payment system Skrill. Funds advised by CVC Capital Partners doled out EUR 600 million (US$801 million) to nab a 75 percent stake in Skrill from Bahrain-based Investcorp. Founded in 2001 as Moneybookers, Skrill is among the world’s […]
Online Payment Provider Stripe Enters U.K. (Aug. 19, 2013)
Aug. 19, 2013 San Francisco-based online payment startup Stripe has expanded its services to the U.K. The company’s platform enables merchants to accept network branded payment cards online by integrating a few lines of code on their Websites. Already active in the U.S. and Canada, Stripe’s client list includes Foursquare and Redditt. The company has […]
EC Gives OK to Spanish Mobile Commerce Venture (Aug. 15, 2013)
Aug. 15, 2013 A mobile commerce partnership between Spanish telecom provider Telefónica and two Spanish banks has been given the green light by the European Commission (EC), paving the way forward for what the companies are calling Europe’s first full joint venture between financial institutions and telecom operators. In its ruling, the EC said there […]
