Payments
People on the Move: Alan Safahi, OpenCoin Advisory Board (May 2013)
Alan Safahi, founder and CEO of ZipZap Inc., a San Francisco-based cash payment network for online financial services and e-commerce transactions, has been named to the advisory board of OpenCoin, creator of the open-source currency platform Ripple. With nearly 30 years of hands-on experience in the IT, telecommunications and financial services industries, Safahi has created […]
People on the Move: Andrew Buckley, MasterCard (May 2013)
MasterCard has appointed Andrew Buckley head of commercial products for Europe. Based in London, he will be responsible for leading the commercial team in Europe and delivering advanced commercial payments solutions to small businesses and large corporations and their employees. Prior to joining MasterCard, Buckley served as vice president for global corporate card product management at American Express, […]
People on the Move: Frank Bisignano and Ed Labry, First Data Corp. (May 2013)
The board of directors of First Data Corp., an Atlanta-based payments processor, has named Frank Bisignano CEO. He also joins the First Data board of directors. Bisignano most recently served as co-chief operating officer of JPMorgan Chase, where his responsibilities included overseeing global technology, real estate, operations, procurement, compliance, regulatory control and oversight, resiliency, security […]
People on the Move: Andrew Dodge, eGifter (May 2013)
Social and mobile gifting company eGifter, has hired Andrew Dodge as vice president of sales. He will focus on driving demand among retailers and payment channel partners for the eGifter platform, which enables retailers to add social gifting, group gifting and mobile delivery of e-gift cards to their own Websites, fan pages and mobile apps. Dodge […]
People on the Move: Rob von Behren, Braintree Inc. (May 2013)
Braintree Inc., a Chicago-based e-commerce payments processor, has announced that Rob von Behren has joined the company as lead engineer for its San Francisco office. He will help to advance Braintree’s position in mobile commerce, including its one-touch mobile payment solution Venmo. A long-time systems engineer, von Behren has deep experience in distributed computation, high-performance […]
MCX Ranks Swell with Southwest, More Chains (May 9, 2013)
Momentum continues to build for U.S. merchant consortium MCX, which today announced another batch of diverse merchants joining its mobile commerce effort. Southwest Airlines and Chili’s Grill & Bar are the latest to join MCX, along with other recently added companies, including DICK’S Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., Meijer and convenience store chains QuikTrip […]
i2c Passes $1 Billion in Latin America, Caribbean Processing (May 9, 2013)
Payment processor i2c Inc. has processed more than $1 billion in payments on cards issued by partner banks in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past year, the company said this week. “We started focusing on [the region] just over two years ago and our $1 billion milestone is evidence of the momentum our […]
Google Wallet Chief Exits Company (May 9, 2013)
Google Inc.’s vice president of payments and wallet has left the company to pursue outside interests, Google confirms. Osama Bedier, who joined Google in 2011 after eight years at PayPal, played a key role in Google Wallet’s recent milestones as well as announcing Google’s purchase of TxVia about a year ago. “We can confirm that Osama […]
Consumers Union Cautions Municipalities about Prepaid Card Fees (May 9, 2013)
As municipalities continue to explore and, in at least one case, implement programs involving government-issued identification that doubles as a prepaid card, Consumers Union this week urged city leaders to be cautious of prepaid cards that might come with “high fees and weak consumer protections.” In letters sent to the National League of Cities, an advocacy group […]
Fed Group Report Cites Collaboration, Tech Advances in M-Payments (May 9, 2013)
Over the past two years, the mobile retail payments landscape has been marked by collaboration across diverse industry players, increased channel and technological convergence, market entry by nonbank entities, and technological innovation and experimentation. Those were among the findings of a new white paper issued by the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Boston, which […]
Blog: Faster Pussycat! Why Payments Need to Be Faster than a Speeding Laptop
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 […]
CFPB: Gift Card Issuers Must Honor Cards after Funds Escheat to State (May 2013)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently published a final determination regarding whether the unclaimed property laws of Maine and Tennessee relating to unredeemed gift cards are inconsistent with and preempted by the gift card provisions of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E. In its ruling, the CFPB determined that Maine’s unclaimed property […]
Banks should prepare for NFC says Celent
NFC is gradually beginning to overcome the obstacles that have held back development. Banks should prepare for the coming upswing in usage, according to a new report by financial research firm Celent.
Discover Inks Global Acceptance Pact with UAE Card Network (May 7, 2013)
Discover Financial Services has signed a deal with Network International to enable acceptance of the Dubai-based company’s Mercury Network cards around the globe. Under the agreement, Mercury cardholders will be able to make payments and access cash over the Discover, Diners Club International, PULSE and other partner networks, paving the way for acceptance in more […]
‘PayTooSwipe’ Touts Global Mobile Merchant Acceptance via EMV, NFC (May 7, 2013)
PayToo Corp. has joined forces with Mobilepaid Ltd. and AnywhereCommerce to offer PayTooSwipe, a mobile payment acceptance solution it is rolling out globally. The concept, building on PayToo’s global wallet targeting unbanked consumers and mobile payment platform, enables any smartphone or tablet to accept payment from all types of cards including magnetic stripe, EMV chip […]
Wendy’s Pilots Mobile Payment at 88 Stores in Western U.S. (May 7, 2013)
May 7, 2013 Wendy’s is the latest quick-serve restaurant to pilot mobile payments by adding a feature to its mobile app. The pilot, involving 88 Wendy’s locations in Oregon, Washington, Texas and New Mexico, enables consumers that have linked a credit card or Wendy’s gift card to the app to pay for their orders at […]
M&S Contactless Program Netting 230,000 Weekly Transactions (May 7, 2013)
May 7, 2013 U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has completed a rollout of contactless payment technology in 644 of its stores and now is processing 230,000 contactless payments a week. Piloted last summer in 25 of its London stores, M&S’s contactless program uses technology from Visa Europe that enables customers to pay for purchases […]
M&S Contactless Program Netting 230,000 Weekly Transactions (May 7, 2013)
U.K. retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has completed a rollout of contactless payment technology in 644 of its stores and now is processing 230,000 contactless payments a week.
PayToo Corp. has joined forces with Mobilepaid Ltd. and AnywhereCommerce (May 7, 2013)
PayToo Corp. has joined forces with Mobilepaid Ltd. and AnywhereCommerce to offer PayTooSwipe, a mobile payment acceptance solution it is rolling out globally. The concept, building on PayToo’s global wallet targeting unbanked consumers and mobile payment platform, enables any smartphone or tablet to accept payment from all types of cards including magnetic stripe, EMV chip […]
Jury Sides with Patent Company in Gift Card Case (May 6, 2013)
A bid by a group of big-name retailers to invalidate patents related to prepaid cards has failed in federal court, leaving the merchants subject to future legal action by the holder of the patents. The case dates back to 2010, when patent holder Alexsam Inc. sued retailers, including Best Buy, JC Penney, Barnes & Noble, […]
Mobey Forum: MPOS Disrupts Payments Landscape (May 6, 2013)
Mobile point of sale (MPOS) technology, with its quick enrollment process, low-cost hardware and apps that enable mobile devices to accept card payments, is disrupting the payments landscape as it transitions from a niche solution for small merchants to a revenue generator for large retailers, according to a white paper from Mobey Forum. “Little more […]
Fed Economist: Durbin’s Effect on Merchants ‘Varied,’ Consumer Benefits Not Yet Clear (May 6, 2013)
A new article from a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City explores the “varied” effects of the Durbin Amendment on merchants and suggests it’s unclear whether the rule achieved its goal of improving payment systems efficiency or helping merchants pass on saving to consumers. The Durbin Amendment resulted in a Federal […]
BYNDL, Sprout Partner on M-Payments at Vending Machines (May 6, 2013)
Mobile transaction services company BYNDL Inc. has teamed up with Sprout Retail, a vending-focused consumer marketing firm, to deliver mobile payments, stored value, digital coupons and surveys to vending customers via mobile devices. Seattle-based startup BYNDL offers a “vending cloud,” which enables vending technology providers to offer their vending operator clients digital services to sell […]
Rabobank’s Inneke Bussemaker at IPS 2013
Rabobank’s Inneke Bussemaker talks about The Brave New World of Payments session she chaired at IPS 2013, taking a critical look at the future of how payments work in a world where corporates will have to adapt to a consumer-driven agenda.
Google Invests in P2P Loan Company, Rolls out Transit Card in Kenya (May 2, 2013)
Google made two moves to expand its role in financial services this week, investing in a P2P lending company and rolling out a contactless transit card in Kenya. Google acquired a minority stake in Lending Club, an online financial community that matches creditworthy borrowers with investors, providing an alternative to traditional banking with competitive loan […]
Discover: More than 50 Merchant Acquirers on Board for PayPal POS Acceptance (May 2, 2013)
Discover has signed deals with more than 50 merchant acquirers in the run-up toward implementing in-store acceptance of PayPal via Discover’s payment network. The agreements—which cover acquirers, including Heartland Payment Systems, TSYS and Vantiv—will enable PayPal acceptance at more than 2 million merchants by the end of this year, according to Discover. PayPal announced its […]
CFPB Sets Oct. 28 as Compliance Date for Revised Foreign Remittance-Transfer Rule (May 2, 2013)
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week made some adjustments and extended by several months the effective date of final rules on international money transfers, ending a period of limbo for remittance-transfer providers. Oct. 28, 2013, is the new effective date for the CFPB’s revised final remittance rule affecting foreign remittances, amending Regulation E of […]
‘Action-Triggered’ Instant-Load Prepaid Card Latest Promo Tool from parago (May 2, 2013)
Consumers could have one more reason to redeem cash-based promotional offers if parago, a Lewisville, Texas-based incentive provider, succeeds with its new “action-triggered” prepaid card. Designed to increase response to direct mail and other promotional offers, the new offering enables marketers to send consumers a zero-balance prepaid card that marketers can instantly load with value […]
Mobile is there for the taking …
Financial institutions have owned the commercial payment space for centuries, but are now seeing a threat to their incumbency from new technologies that have opened up the industry to other business sectors. Mobile transactions in particular are shaking-up banking.
People on the Move: Hugh Meadows, UMB Financial Corp. (May 2013)
UMB Financial Corp., a Kansas City, Mo.-based financial services holding company, has announced that Hugh Meadows has joined UMB as vice president, debit/prepaid card product manager for health care services. He is responsible for executing strategy and driving growth to UMB prepaid and debit card portfolios through new sales and expanding existing business. He also […]
People on the Move: Ukash, Queen’s Awards for Enterprise (May 2013)
For the third consecutive year, Ukash, a London-based prepaid voucher provider, has been honored by the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for its contribution to international trade. The International Trade award recognizes U.K. businesses that have delivered substantial growth in overseas earnings and improved levels of commercial success globally. The award reinforces Ukash’s sustained commitment to […]
People on the Move: Sunrise Banks, Best for the World List (May 2013)
B Lab’s 2013 Best for the World List, which acknowledges companies creating the most positive overall social and environmental impact, has recognized St. Paul, Minn.-based Sunrise Banks. The bank invests in projects within inner-city neighborhoods, works closely with state and federal assistance programs and supports community development, among other philanthropies. B Lab is a nonprofit […]
People on the Move: Scott Goldthwaite, ROAM (May 2013)
ROAM, a Boston-based mobile commerce platform provider and Ingenico company, has appointed Scott Goldthwaite senior vice president of operations. His duties include ensuring that the firm’s operations and business processes are aligned with the rapidly evolving needs of its customers as they deploy mobile point-of-sale solutions. Goldthwaite previously served as a senior member of the […]
Condolences: Timothy Birk, Performance Benefits Inc. (May 2013)
The prepaid and emerging payments industry recently lost a highly respected 30-year veteran. Timothy Birk, CEO at Performance Benefits Inc., died in a car accident on April 14, 2013. Birk, 56, is survived by his wife, Sheri, her children, Brandt and Aidan, and his children, Luke, Olivia and Thomas with his first wife, LaDon. Birk […]
People on the Move: Nick Nayfack, Mercury Payment Systems (May 2013)
Mercury Payment Systems, a Durango, Colo.-based prepaid card processor, has announced that Nick Nayfack, director of product, accepted a seat on the Electronic Transactions Association’s (ETA) mobile payments committee. ETA is an international trade association for the payment processing industry. Nayfack will develop best practices in mobile commerce with industry peers to enable merchants and […]
People on the Move: Nick Holland, Javelin Strategy & Research (May 2013)
Javelin Strategy & Research has hired Nick Holland as senior analyst of payments. He has spent the last decade focusing on the intersection of payments, mobile, retail and security, according to the company. His prior work includes Mercator Advisory Group, Pyramid Research, Aite Group and, most recently, Yankee Group’s Mobile Money Strategies practice. Holland has […]
People on the Move: Nick Holland, Javelin Strategy & Research (May 2013)
May 2013 Javelin Strategy & Research has hired Nick Holland as senior analyst of payments. He has spent the last decade focusing on the intersection of payments, mobile, retail and security, according to the company. His prior work includes Mercator Advisory Group, Pyramid Research, Aite Group and, most recently, Yankee Group’s Mobile Money Strategies practice. […]
People on the Move: Steve Elefant, GoPago Inc. (May 2013)
GoPago Inc., a San Francisco-based provider of emerging mobile payments technology, has hired Steve Elefant as chief strategy officer, and he will be in charge of strategy and ISO partnerships. Elefant has more than 25 years of experience in overall company strategy, products, end-to-end encryption, mobile, business development, and mergers and acquisitions. Most recently, he […]
People on the Move: Mike Delagrange, Galitt (May 2013)
Galitt, a French payments and electronic transactions consultancy, has appointed Mike Delagrange senior vice president and general manager of Galitt’s U.S. operations. He will be responsible for positioning Galitt’s success in selling EMV, NFC and TSM consulting services throughout Europe to major companies in the U.S. Delagrange has more than 20 years of conventional and […]
