Money via email: will Google bring the breakthrough?
The idea of sending money via email is not entirely new. This month, however, a new financial player entered this arena: Google announced that it will integrate Google Wallet into Gmail.
Mobile
Boost Mobile’s Wallet Packs One-Two Punch (May 23, 2013)
May 23, 2013 Sprint’s Boost Mobile is taking a page out of O2’s playbook in the U.K.—launching a mobile wallet for online transactions with a companion prepaid Visa card for use at brick-and-mortar locations. One of the first telcos in the U.S. to launch its own wallet—AT&T Mobility, Verizon and T-Mobile have joined together on […]
Square Ventures Overseas: First Stop, Japan (May 23, 2013)
Mobile payments platform Square has ventured into its first market outside North America, becoming publicly available in Japan, the company announced today. “I am honored to introduce Square to a country with a rich history of design, innovation and tradition. Square shares the same values and attention to detail in our products,” said Jack Dorsey, […]
GiftCards.com Bolsters Mobile Offerings with Giftly Acquisition (May 23, 2013)
May 23, 2013 GiftCards.com, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Wolfe LLC, is deepening its digital offerings with the acquisition this week of Giftly, a mobile app-based digital gift card service. Giftly, a San Francisco-based startup launched in 2011, enables consumers to purchase digital gift cards that may be designated for specific purchases at any U.S. merchant […]
Blog: User Experience Flaws Bog Down Top Retail Apps (May 2013)
By Joseph DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger In every technology shift, users are confronted with interfaces that were designed for the previous generation. For example, early PCs rendered graphics of Rolodexes, clocks and other analog desk accoutrements. In this tradition, users of today’s smartphones often are presented with a shopping experience that was designed for the […]
Blog: Mobile Payments: A Solution Looking for a Problem? (May 2013)
By Ginger Schmeltzer, Fiserv For years we’ve been debating why mobile payments haven’t taken off faster. Debaters point out issues with the number of players in the value chain, business model challenges, competing technologies, lack of a compelling value proposition, security concerns and more. All of these points are valid: Business models are all over […]
Remittances: a window to the future?
The $400 billion global remittances market is moving from cash to account-based transfer, but costs, regulations and new competitors are still the key issues.
Tearing up the financial services value chain
Traditional finance is not as we once knew it. The internet has completely disrupted the financial services value chain. The banks are struggling to keep up with advancing technology. Understanding mobile, cloud computing, social media, big data and how to utilise each capability are key challenges for the banks to overcome.
LevelUp to Integrate M-Payment, Loyalty Solution into NCR POS Systems (May 21, 2013)
LevelUp, a promotion-based mobile payment and loyalty network from Boston-based SCVNGR, has reached an agreement with NCR Corp. to integrate its mobile payment and loyalty solution into NCR’s restaurant POS systems, giving restaurants another way to accept mobile payments and market to their customers.
Project Catalyst: A Collaborative Approach to Consumer Protection? (May 2013)
CFPB Invites ‘Innovative’ Companies to Share Consumer Data, Ideas to Help Shape Policies By Kate Fitzgerald, Emerging Payments Editor The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) since its formation in 2011 has generated great interest and, at times, controversy over its mission and leadership in its role of creating and enforcing federal financial services regulations. While […]
Identity and mobile figure large at payments and cards event
The themes of security, identity and mobility ran strongly through the Cards and Payments Middle East conference in Dubai this week – and not just because the event itself is sandwiched between related and interlinked events focusing on Mobile and Identity.
Digital progression in retail banking: Europe’s banks are not fully prepared
Across Europe many banks feel unprepared for the next phase of the ‘digital revolution’, while factors such as expensive compliance regulations, poor data management and outdated systems are constraining them from implementing new solutions
Blog: NFC: Your Move, Apple (June 2012)(2)
By Joseph DeSetto, Full Sail University Near field communication, or NFC, is a technology that, on the surface, has tremendous potential. The Japanese vending machine experience of paying for your favorite flavor of sugar water without taking coins from your wallet has been an image of the future for several years now. But for […]
Blog: Well-Designed Mobile Payments Key to App Success (October 2012)
By Joe DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger Great design is often highly subjective and can be maddening for executive decision makers. Steve Jobs’ well-known response to his engineers trying to find a solution he would accept was: “I’ll know it when I see it.” Design, and the delightful products and experiences that result, is an art […]
Blog: Blackhawk IPO and the Value of Prepaid Distribution
By John Grund, First Annapolis Consulting Safeway’s decision to IPO a minority stake of Blackhawk Network is yet another milestone in the evolution of the prepaid industry, given Blackhawk’s unique distribution role in the broader value chain. Green Dot and NetSpend serve as bell weathers for the market value of program managers in the prepaid […]
Blog: Loyalty Cards and Network Branded Prepaid Make a Perfect Match in Emerging Markets (November 2012)
By David Parker, Polymath Consulting Recently we saw the announcement by Nakumatt in Kenya—think Tesco in the U.K., Walmart in the United States—that it will convert all of its 1 million loyalty cards to prepaid MasterCard cards. Polymath Consulting worked with Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), one of the two issuing banks selected by Nakumatt, and […]
Blog: Older Technology Seeds Future Mobile Payments
The developed world, especially here in the United States, has a very specific idea of what mobile means, and mobile payments in particular. There are certain technologies that spring to mind as acceptably cutting edge and worth attention, such as apps, QR codes, Square, Apple Passbook and Google Wallet. These technologies are now and ahead […]
Blog: Crossing the Border: More Reason to Check Your Pockets (November 2012)
By Cynthia Merritt, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta It’s no secret that cross-border travel has involved a lot more restrictions since 9-11. Declaration of assets and physical inspection of luggage and other items are expected, as well as tedious and unpleasant, aspects of a vacation or business trip. That could change soon and not for […]
Blog: Roasting Starbucks’ 12 Days of Gifting
By Joe DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger In the acclaimed television series Mad Men, an average copywriter named Harry Crane invents a role as his agency’s new Head of Television. In this fictional retro world, the old guard that runs the agency in the early 1960s has no idea of the importance of this new broadcast […]
Blog: U.S. Prepaid Companies Aren’t the Only Ones Shopping in Europe (December)
By David Parker, Polymath Consulting The last several months have seen two very interesting pieces of M&A activity in Europe. First, we saw Wright Express’ take over CorporatePay. CorporatePay was a “pure play” program manager specializing in the corporate-loaded sector and, in particular, virtual prepaid cards used by the travel sector for supplier payments. For […]
Blog: As Automobiles Become Devices, Truly Mobile Payments on the Horizon (January 2013)
By Joe DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger Siri, Apple’s voice assist for iOS devices, already is a steering wheel button on some newer model cars. BMW has an option listed next to the premium leather seating called BMW Apps. Fords now include Sync, a Microsoft technology, and released the Ford Developer Program and a new open […]
Blog: Consumer Prepaid Saturation in U.K.? (March 2013)
By David Parker, Polymath Consulting Are we reaching market saturation for consumer-loaded prepaid programs in the U.K.? Our latest industry research suggests the answer may be “yes.” Polymath has published The Prepaid Report since 2007, tracking the number and types of consumer-loaded prepaid cards programs in the U.K. Our latest report makes interesting reading because […]
Blog: Tipping Point for M-Payments Hidden in SMS App and Obscure Pizza Promo (April 2013)
By Joseph DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger It wasn’t long ago that mobile payments apps for the current generation of smartphones were difficult and time consuming for even experienced programmers to create. Much like the early days of e-commerce, standard ways of protecting user data, providing a consistent interface and user experience that would be trusted, […]
Blog: Venmo App Makes P2P Transactions Social (March 2013)
By Joseph DeSetto, Emerging Payments Blogger A continuous stream of posts with witty comments or pop culture references is nothing new online after years of Facebook, Twitter and various other social services. But when the same type of feed appears in social commerce app Venmo—available online and on a mobile device near you—the effect is […]
Blog: Digital/Mobile Payments and the Power of Social Media (April 2013)
By Hunny Huria, Visa At times I’m amazed how social media has changed our lives and continues to have potential to impact it more. There are innumerable people who start the day by checking their Facebook accounts. As of December 2012, Facebook had more than half a billion daily active users, and 9 million apps […]
Blog: Faster Pussycat! Why Payments Need to Be Faster than a Speeding Laptop (May 2013)
By Nick Holland, Javelin Strategy & Research I bought a new laptop the other day. I won’t bore you with the details of its specifications, but suffice to say, as a professional nerd, I get pretty excited about these things. In fact, I got so excited that I actually bought it as an impulse purchase […]
Google Unveils New Payment Initiatives to Buoy Wallet (May 16, 2013)
Google is launching a trio of new services that leverage the tech giant’s ubiquitous online presence to spur usage of its mobile wallet. Announced at Google’s I/O Conference in San Francisco this week, the new initiatives include a one-click payments function for Google Wallet, an instant buy feature for Android and the ability to send […]
The next big revolution in retail banking is sitting in the palm of your hand
Retail banking is changing through many external forces. The on-going global financial crisis has impacted the regulation surrounding the banking industry, but there are other factors changing the environment banks find themselves operating in.
eToro prepares to bring social investing to Britain
Social investment network eToro is to open up shop in the UK, having won approval from new regulator the FCA this month. Founded in 2007, eToro is a social trading network that aims to revolutionise the way retail investors and high net-worth individuals connect with the market.
2013 Paybefore Awards: Best Non-U.S.-Based Program (May 2013)
Best prepaid or emerging payments program launched and operated by a non-U.S. company outside the U.S. Best in Category: Power to Pay Program Power to Pay NFC tags for mobile phones were developed exclusively for IIT Bombay students and faculty and can be used at select campus outlets for day-to-day purchases via the RuPay payments […]
Italy’s SIA set to connect to New York as recovery plan bears fruit
Milan-based financial technology firm SIA is expanding its reach to New York later this year in a move that caps the latest-phase of a three-year recovery plan for the firm. The extension of SIA’s Financial Ring to New York follows that activation of a hub in Frankfurt is the third cornerstone, after Milan and London, […]
Amazon Coins Make Debut with $5 in Free Apps for Kindle Fire Users (May 14, 2013)
Amazon hopes to spark interest among tablet customers in using its apps to purchase games and other items by giving certain users $5 in free digital goods.
RBC, Bell Team Up on Mobile Payments (May 14, 2013)
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) has teamed up with telecom provider Bell Canada to announce a new mobile payment system that will enable RBC customers to make purchases online and in stores using NFC-compatible smartphones on Bell’s mobile network.
Viewpoint: Loyalty, Not Payments, Is the Real Mobile Opportunity (Spring 2013)
By Jai Holtz, Sears Financial Services (Member of MCX) There’s no denying that years of hype around mobile payments is beginning to translate into real interest and action from retailers, but the trend has a lot less to do with the actual act of paying than is widely assumed. There are numerous benefits to being […]
People on the Move: Martin Wong and Marcella Butler, Think Finance (May 2013 )
Think Finance, a Fort Worth, Texas-based developer of financial products for underbanked consumers, has named Martin Wong as the company’s first chief integrity officer. He will oversee the company’s compliance with all state and federal laws and will be responsible for ensuring Think Finance offers clear, transparent and fair products in the industry. Wong joins […]
People on the Move: Alex Petrov, Square Inc. (May 2013)
Square Inc., a San Francisco-based mobile payments company, has hired Alex Petrov as vice president of partnerships. His extensive background in retail, consumer products and payments will help drive strategic business development and customer acquisition, according to the company. He has served as vice president of consumer brands at Safeway, and as vice president of […]
