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BLOCKCHAIN & WEB 3.0

Mastercard’s crypto head stresses security, simplicity for blockchain’s full potential; Crypto Slate
 
Mastercard firmly believes that crypto and blockchain technology can bring much more value to financial industries once it can solve the key issues of security and simplicity, Tech Crunch reported, citing the company’s EVP and head of crypto and blockchain Raj Dhamodharan.   (Read More)
 
Amex planning to use AI for approving cards and lines of credit; CoinTelegraph
 
American Express plans to extend its AI capabilities through partnerships despite having experimented internally with numerous machine learning-powered services.   (Read More)
 
Ripple’s New CBDC Platform Aims to Simplify Issuing Digital Currencies; The Tokenist
 
Blockchain-based payments and remittance firm Ripple has launched its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Platform, allowing central banks and financial institutions to issue digital currencies. The move comes as more and more countries join the race to develop their virtual currency.   (Read More)

Mastercard Expands Crypto Foothold With Crypto Credential Services; TOKENPOST
 
Mastercard has launched a new service called "Mastercard Crypto Credentials," which allows banks and other financial institutions to store and verify customers' digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. The service aims to reduce the risk of fraud and enhance security in cross-border transactions involving digital assets while helping boost the blockchain industry's credibility.   (Read More)
 
BR-DGE launches Network Tokenisation product ‘Vault’, strengthening payment security for merchants; Press Release
 
Today, leading payment orchestration platform BR-DGE launches BR-DGE Vault, a state-of-the-art Network Tokenisation product to deliver industry-leading transaction performance and security to its merchants and payments partners. Amid disruptive innovation in payment technology, BR-DGE is leading the way with a ground-breaking product which enables merchants to leverage the benefits of an independent and enhanced tokenisation solution.   (Read More)
 
Crypto-assets: green light to new rules for tracing transfers in the EU; European Parliment
 
Parliament endorsed the first EU rules to trace crypto-asset transfers, prevent money laundering, as well as common rules on supervision and customer protection.    (Read More)

Microsoft is Building a Cryptocurrency Wallet into its Edge Browser; The Verge
 
Microsoft is building a cryptocurrency wallet for its Edge browser even as the crypto markets struggle. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell The Verge that the software giant has been testing the Microsoft Edge built-in crypto wallet internally in recent months, with plans to eventually ship it to consumers. It’s just the latest feature coming to Microsoft’s increasingly bloated Edge browser.   (Read More)
 
Swiss Banking Association proposes deposit tokens focusing on interoperability; COINGEEK
 
The Swiss Banking Association (SBA) has presented a white paper detailing plans for creating a digital Swiss franc which it says will operate as a deposit token (DT) on blockchain technology.     (Read More)
 
Swift Successfully Trials Blockchain for Corporate Actions; MARKETSMEDIA
 
How can the securities industry reduce costly frictions in communicating corporate actions? Learn more about the results of our latest collaborative experiments to find out.     (Read More)

JP MORGAN TO OPEN A NEW CRYPTO LAB IN ATHENS; TECHSTORY  
 
“There’s lots of developers operating in this space” he said yesterday, noting that engineers working crypto have doubled in the past year. “That’s continuing to go up.” Armstrong says that if the “brightest young engineers” are interested in something, then it must be promising . Similarly, within Coinbase itself, he maintained that engineers “are really passionate about the mission.”    (Read More)
 
Reltime delivers Decentralized Web3 Merchant Payment Solution to enable seamless Global E-Commerce; Press Release
 
Reltime AS, global leader in Web3, Layer 1 Proof of Authority and Metaverse financial services platform is leading the shift from traditional e-commerce (controlled by many intermediary organizations) to a direct e-commerce where values are exchanged instantly between consumers and or merchants/ businesses globally. Reltime's platform is currently supporting such a direct e-commerce across 170 countries.    (Read More)
 
VISA Exploring Stablecoin Settlements: Report; Tokenist
 
Standing still is not an option in the FinTech industry. One only has to recall Blockbuster’s missed chance to invest in Netflix to see how fast trends can change. Despite Visa’s global market dominance in payments, the company is now preparing to transition into digital payments.    (Read More)

Binance Expands AI-Powered NFT Generator Bicasso; Blockchain.news
 
After the successful trial run, now 100,000 users worldwide can experience the technology. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, expands its NFT artificial intelligence service Bicasso globally after a successful test in Europe.   (Read More)
 
Why Some See Web 3.0 as the Future of the Internet; Wall Street Journal
 
Some see Web 3.0 as the next generation of the internet, a decentralized version of the web based on the blockchain. Here are the key principles behind it, and why skeptics are unconvinced it could scale globally.  (Read More)
 
Web 3.0 And The Metaverse In 2023; Forbes
 
 Web 3.0 and the metaverse are two emerging technologies that are expected to revolutionize how we do business in the coming years. Web 3.0, also known as the semantic web, is a next-generation version of the internet that aims to make it more intelligent and intuitive for users. It does this by using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms to understand the context and meaning of the data that is being shared, making it easier for users to find the information they are looking for.  (Read More)

CIBC continues innovation by offering clients no-fee same-day cash pick up abroad through MoneyGram with its Global Money Transfer service; Press Release
 
To help clients save time, increase convenience and remove barriers to sending and receiving funds abroad, CIBC today announced the expansion of its Global Money Transfer (GMT) service to include cash pick up through MoneyGram, a global leader in the evolution of digital P2P payments, enabling same-day, no-fee cash transfers to more than 40 countries.   (Read More)
 
Banks link credit cards to e-payment platforms; China Daily
 
Chinese mobile payment platforms Alipay and WeChat Pay have begun allowing users to withdraw money online through credit card cash advances by cooperating with some banks, such as Bank of Ningbo, China Everbright Bank and Ping An Bank.   (Read More)
 
Mastercard follows Visa, approves Zwipe Pay platform for biometric cards; BiometricUpdate.com
 
Norway-based Zwipe’s biometric payment card platform has passed a raft of Mastercard tests to win a key certification from the financial services firm. The Component Conformity Statement received by Zwipe means that its biometric platform, Pay, meets Mastercard’s security, reliability, functionality and performance standards.   (Read More)

Zimbabwe introduces gold coins in an effort to tame inflation, rekindle faith in currency; CBC News
 
Zimbabwe has launched gold coins to be sold to the public in a bid to tame runaway inflation that has further eroded the country's unstable currency. The unprecedented move was announced Monday by the country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, to boost confidence in the local currency.   (Read More)
 
RuPay Credit Card For UPI Payment By Scanning QR Code Will Be Launched Very Soon; Sangri Today
 
In the meeting of the Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee in June, it was decided that now UPI transactions can also be done with the help of credit cards. Work is progressing rapidly in this direction. National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) is in talks with several banks to allow transactions by scanning QR codes with the help of RuPay credit cards. To give relief to small merchants, they are also being considered for exemption in the MDR charge.   (Read More)
 
Apple's Version of Virtual Cards Could Be Coming in iOS 16; GIZMODO
 
Just as Google announced it would be adopting virtual cards for shopping through Chrome, Apple is likely also implementing virtual cards in its Safari browser. The news comes from 9to5Mac, which is currently digging through the iOS 16 beta 3, released yesterday afternoon for developers. According to code the site has seen, Apple has apparently been working to implement virtual cards within Safari to keep your online shopping ventures secure across the board.   (Read More)

You Can Now Pay for Your Lyft Ride with Cash: Here's What You Have to Know; iTECHPOST
 
Lyft has introduced a new paying option, which now allows riders to pay using cash. This move, according to Lyft, is their way of improving transportation access for more people.   (Read More)
 
New PayPal Cashback Business Credit Card Launches for US Small Businesses; Press Release
 
PayPal Holdings Inc. announced it is expanding its suite of credit offerings to include a new business credit card to better meet the everyday financing needs of small business owners. The PayPal Business Cashback Mastercard, issued by WebBank and powered by the Mastercard network, is the first business credit card offered through PayPal. The card has no annual fee and rewards cardholders with 2% cashback on all purchases with no rewards earning caps or expiration, making it among the highest cashback rewards value available.  (Read More)
 
Mastercard and Paysafe Deepen Global Collaboration With Integration of Mastercard Send; Yahoo Finance 
 
Mastercard and Paysafe announce the integration of Mastercard Send into Paysafe’s payments platform, enhancing the payout capabilities offered to Paysafe’s merchant customers in the UK and EU. The addition of Mastercard Send is the latest extension of the ongoing global relationship between the two companies which supports multiple Paysafe products and services.   (Read More)

Cardless cash withdrawal soon: Why it will curb frauds like cloning and skimming; The Times of India  
 
The Reserve Bank has asked banks to provide the option of card-less Cash Withdrawal (ICCW) at their ATMs, a move aimed at curbing frauds like skimming, card cloning and device tampering.  The interoperable cardless cash withdrawal facility using the Unified Payments Interface or UPI platform, will be available across bank’s ATM network.   (Read More)
 
Federal Reserve Board finalizes rule that governs funds transfers over the Federal Reserve Banks' FedNow Service; Press Release
 
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday finalized a rule that governs funds transfers over the Federal Reserve Banks' FedNow℠ Service. The final rule is substantially similar to the proposal from last year, with a few clarifications in response to comments.   (Read More)
 
Mastercard launches tech that lets you pay with your face or hand in stores; CNBC
 
The company on Tuesday launched a program for retailers to offer biometric payment methods, like facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. At checkout, users will be able to authenticate their payment by showing their face or the palm of their hand instead of swiping their card.   (Read More)

Retailers can't discriminate against cash payments, state law says; Yahoo
 
Massachusetts state law clearly says retailers can't discriminate against people who want to pay with cash, but the strength of the law is dependent on how Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey wants to enforce it.   (Read More)
 
Credit Card Points with Impact: BMO Celebrates Earth Day with New Launch for Cardholders; Press Release
 
BMO Harris Bank today announced it is giving customers the opportunity to support forest restoration by donating cardholder points to support the Priceless Planet Coalition. BMO customers will now be able to redeem credit card points and allocate them to tree-planting initiatives. Launched in 2020 by Mastercard, the Priceless Planet Coalition, guided by Conservation International and World Resources Institute, has a mission to restore 100 million trees by 2025.   (Read More)
 
Indonesia's KoinWorks rolls out card for influencers and entrepreneurs; Finextra
 
 New economies need new economic models that support them. That’s why KoinWorks, the leading fintech platform in Indonesia, today announced the launch of NEOCard, the first offering of its kind that gives more than 64M influencers and entrepreneurs in the region access to financial tools and banking services to help fuel the next generation of wealth in the region.  (Read More)

Mastercard partners with Bank Alfalah for market-first launch of Tap on Phone and Simplify Commerce solutions in Pakistan; Press Release
 
Mastercard and Bank Alfalah have entered into a strategic partnership to empower businesses in Pakistan through the launch of two of Mastercard’s market-leading solutions powered by Mastercard Payment Gateway Services – Tap on Phone and Simplify Commerce – leveraging the power of technology to catalyze success and boost financial inclusion for businesses across the market, with a special focus on small enterprises.    (Read More)
 
PayTrace is joining North American Bancard; Press Release
 
We’re pleased to announce that PayTrace was recently acquired by North American Bancard. North American Bancard processes more than $45 billion in transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of satisfied merchants. PayTrace is becoming their preferred gateway solution for all merchant types.   (Read More)
 
7-Eleven Japan trials holographic contactless self-checkout; NFCW
 
Customers at six 7-Eleven convenience stores in Tokyo, Japan, can now make cashless payments for their purchases by interacting with a holographic screen projected from a contactless self-checkout kiosk.  (Read More)

Corpay One Launches Corpay Mastercard®, The Smart Card that Helps Pay Your Bills; Press Release
 
Corpay One, a smart digital bill pay platform for small businesses, today announced the availability of Corpay Mastercard®, its new credit card product for qualified customers. Corpay Mastercard® is fully integrated with the Corpay One bill pay platform, providing small businesses with one, subscription-free solution to make payments and manage spend.   (Read More)
 
Klarna opens waitlist for highly anticipated Klarna Card to US consumers; Press Release
 
Klarna, a leading global retail bank, payments and shopping service, today announced that its waitlist for the Klarna Card is now open to all US consumers. The Klarna Card will bring the company's popular "Pay in 4" service to a  physical VISA card form issued by WebBank, empowering consumers to pay over time in four payments for any in-store or online purchase.    (Read More)
 
CFPB issues warning on use of prepaid cards to pay government benefits; American Banker
 
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned financial services companies Tuesday about a longstanding prohibition on using prepaid debit cards as the sole method for distributing government benefits.    (Read More)

Consumer borrowing picks up in November but credit cards remain out-of-favor; MarketWatch
 
The numbers: U.S. consumer borrowing accelerated in November but consumers continued to avoid using their credit cards, according to Federal Reserve data released Friday. Total consumer credit increased $15.3 billion in November, 1.3% more than in October. That’s an annual growth rate of 4.4%, economists had been expecting a $9 billion gain, according to the Wall Street Journal forecast.   (Read More)

UBS Arena Is the Latest Professional Sports Stadium to Go Cashless; Digital Transactions
 
The move toward cashless sports stadiums continues to accelerate. UBS Arena, home of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, has contracted with Fiserv Inc. to install Clover point-of-sale hardware and Bypass point-of-sale software to enable digital and contactless payment options throughout the venue.  (Read More)
 
Visa Warns Against Misuse Of ‘Cashless ATMs’ Used By Cannabis Retailers To Skirt Restrictions; MJUS
 
Visa, the world’s second-largest card payment company, recently issued a compliance memo to customers warning them that miscoding point-of-sale transactions through the use of so-called cashless ATMs—a practice used by some cannabis retailers as a workaround to accept credit or debit cards for purchases—could lead to penalties or other unspecified enforcement action.    (Read More)
 
Yes Bank launches credit cards on RuPay platform; The Hindu Business Line
 
Private sector lender Yes Bank has launched credit cards on the RuPay platform. “Yes Bank has partnered National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to offer RuPay branded credit cards to its customers on the indigenously developed payment platform,” it said in a statement on Monday.    (Read More)

BOB Financial, NPCI and JCB partner to launch Bank of Baroda Credit Cards on RuPay platform; Press Release
 
BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB), has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch BoB Credit Cards (Easy and Premier variants) on the RuPay platform. Launched on the JCB network, both cards support global acceptance. These cards come with various attractive benefits for the customers such as 5X Reward Points in selected merchant categories, fuel surcharge waiver, pre and post purchase EMI offers, up to 3 complimentary add-on credit cards for family members and several exciting merchant offers enabled both by BFSL and NPCI. BFSL and NPCI have utilized FirstVision(TM) from Fiserv, a core card processing platform for cards and transaction management, with a set of APIs and micro-services for seamless digital enablement.   (Read More)
 
When It Comes to Paying for Online Purchases, Debit Tops the List, Says a Fiserv Report; Digital Transactions
 
A recent Carat Insights Report from Fiserv Inc. reveals that 59% of Millennials and Gen Zers use debit online because they prefer the financial control debit cards provide over their finances. Overall, 48% of consumers say they prefer using a debit card when making a purchase online, compared to 36% preferring credit and 11% favoring digital wallets.   (Read More)
 
Visa Tumbles on Amazon Ban in U.K. as Fight on Card Fees Expands; Bloomberg
 
Amazon.com Inc. will stop accepting purchases made with Visa Inc. credit cards issued in the U.K. starting next year, the latest escalation by the online retailer in its push against transaction fees charged by payment networks.  (Read More)
 

Financial Institution Credit Card Programs Get a Competitive Boost with Fully Managed Option from Fiserv; Press Release
 
Fiserv, Inc., a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions, announced it is empowering financial institutions to deliver a digital-first branded credit card program for consumer and small business cardholders, eliminating the operational complexity and cost of direct card issuance.   (Read More)
 
Extend raises $40M for its virtual card offering to help banks better compete with fintechs; TechCrunch
 
Extend has integrated directly with major networks and processors — including Global Payments/TSYS, Mastercard and Visa — with the intent of building technology that supports virtual cards on top of the infrastructure banks are built upon. This means that card issuers can combine Extend’s offering with their current products, with “no technical implementation required,” according to the company.   (Read More)
 
Walmart Offers More Convenience to Millions of Customers Nationwide by Expanding In-Store Bill Payment and Cash Loading Services With InComm Payments; Press Release
 
Walmart and InComm Payments, a leading payments technology company, announced a more convenient and efficient way for millions of customers to pay their bills or fund prepaid accounts nationwide at more than 4,700 Walmart locations in the U.S. through VanillaDirect™.   (Read More)

Online Powerhouse GoDaddy Takes the Next Step with Card-Present Transactions; Digital Transactions
 
GoDaddy Inc., which launched GoDaddy Payments in June to unify its transaction services following its December deal to buy point-of-sale terminal maker Poynt Inc., released a countertop payment terminal and mobile card reader with lower fees than most competitors.   (Read More)
 
BNPL Consumers Are Not Shy About Using Credit Products, a TransUnion Report Finds; Digital transactions
 
New research suggests buy now, pay later users may not be shunning traditional retail credit products in favor of the installment-payment option. That’s one finding from TransUnion LLC’s “Understanding the Evolving Point-of-Sale” report released Thursday. The data show that 76% of the point-of-sale financing applicants had a retail card in their wallets at the time of application compared with 66% of the general credit population, the report indicates, which surveyed nearly 1,000 BNPL users.    (Read More)
 
U.S. cash payment kiosks rise despite digital age; Payment Dive
 
City governments nationwide are joining a trend to make more cash payment options available to consumers looking to pay their bills, with Chicago undertaking a significant expansion and New York installing new kiosks for the first time next month.    (Read More)

Klarna under fire for unsustainable credit card model claim; Retail Technology Innovation Hub
 
In buy now pay later venture Klarna’s interim report, covering January to June 2021 and published this week, Chief Executive and Founder, Sebastian Siemiatkowski, claims that credit cards drive economic inequalities.   (Read More)
 
Overdraft fees jump 40% YOY but still headed lower from 2019 levels; S&P Global
 
Overdraft fees are rebounding, but remain well below 2019 levels as competitive and political pressures have many banks offering low-fee accounts.   (Read More)
 
InComm Payments Partners With doxo, Enabling Consumers to Pay Bills With Cash on doxo's Nationwide Bill Pay Network at More than 60,000 Retail Locations; Press Release
 
Consumers pay nearly 1.9 billion bills per year with cash; partnership enables doxo users to make cash payments in popular retail locations across the country, including 7-Eleven®, Dollar General® and Family Dollar®   (Read More)

Juniper Research: Contactless Card Transaction Values to Reach $2.5 Trillion in 2021, Dominating the Contactless Landscape; Press Release
 
A new report from Juniper Research has found that global contactless card transaction values will reach $2.5 trillion in 2021, from $1.7 trillion in 2020, with cards retaining the majority share of overall contactless transaction values at 79% in 2021. The pandemic has significantly accelerated an existing contactless card usage trend, and these value increases will be sustained beyond 2021 and into the future.   (Read More)
 
FICO UK Credit Market Report May 2021: Markedly Lower Year-On-Year Increase in Credit Card Spend Suggests Consumers Are Adjusting to 'New Normal'; Press Release
 
Global analytics software provider FICO today released its analysis of UK card trends for May 2021, which suggests that some consumers are practicing pragmatic financial management, as well as continuing to make use of savings accrued during the pandemic. There are, however, warning signs of the financial pressure growing for those already in debt.   (Read More)
 
Russia's Mir Card Payment System Connects to Apple Pay; U.S. News
 
Russia's card payment system Mir, which was set up in 2015 after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow, is now connected to Apple Pay, the card issuer said on Tuesday. More than 95 million Mir cards have been issued by Russia's National Card Payment System (NSPK), accounting for about a third of Russia's card market which was previously dominated by international payment systems Visa and Mastercard.   (Read More)

Visa to begin rolling out instalment payments in Canada; NFCW
 
Visa is to launch its Visa Installments payments service in Canada, enabling consumers to choose to pay for purchases made using their credit card in smaller instalments over a specified period of time.    (Read More)
 
Russian national payment system "Mir" becomes available in South Korea; Press Release
 
BC Card, the biggest payment processing company in South Korea, firstly affiliates with NSPK, a Russian national payment company, to process card payment of "Mir" system in South Korea.    (Read More)
 
Hong Kong virtual bank launches ‘all-in-one’ numberless debit and credit card; NFCW
 
Customers of Hong Kong-based virtual bank Mox can now apply for an “all-in-one” numberless payments card that they can choose to use as either a debit or a credit card whenever they make a transaction.    (Read More)

ATMIA Certifies World’s First Next Gen ATM Product; Press Release
 
London, UK, Sioux Falls, SD, USA, Sydney, Australia & Cape Town, South Africa – ATMIA today certified the world’s first Next Gen ATM product, following a multi-year global project, involving over 400 companies in 56 countries, to create a new global API App model for ATMs.    (Read More)
 
UK’s Paysend raises $125M at a $700M+ valuation to expand its all-in-one payments platform; TechCrunch
 
In the latest development, Paysend, a fintech that has built a mobile-based payments platform — which currently offers international money transfers, global accounts, and business banking and e-commerce for SMBs — has picked up some money of its own. The London-based startup has closed a round of $125 million, a sizable Series B that the company’s CEO and founder Ronnie Millar said it will be using to continue expanding its business geographically, to hire more people, and to continue building more fintech products.    (Read More)
 
10 Billion and Counting: What the Latest EMV® Chip Data Means for Global Payments; Press Release
 
Data published by EMVCo shows that at the end of 2020, 10.8 billion EMV® chip cards were in global circulation – an increase of nearly 1 billion compared to the previous twelve months. In addition, EMVCo reports that 66% of issued cards are EMV, with over 86% of all card-present transactions conducted globally using EMV chip technology. In this Q&A post, Junya Tanaka, EMVCo Executive Committee Chair, explains the role of EMV chip in supporting the delivery of reliable and convenient payments globally.    (Read More)

Mastercard beats on earnings and cites a rebound in domestic travel spending; MarketWatch
 
The company reported first-quarter net income of $1.8 billion, or $1.83 a share, up from $1.7 billion, or $1.68 a share, a year earlier. After adjusting for special items and the impact of equity investments, Mastercard MA, -1.46% earned $1.74 a share, down from $1.83 a share but ahead of the $1.58 a share that analysts surveyed by FactSet had been projecting.  (Read More)
 
Retailers Sue Fed Over Failure to Follow Congress’ Direction on Debit Card Swipe Fees; Press Release
 
Retailers filed a lawsuit today seeking to have the Federal Reserve lower its 10-year-old cap on “swipe” fees banks charge to process debit card transactions, saying the agency wrongly applied federal law and that merchants have paid billions of dollars more than intended by Congress while banks’ costs have fallen.  (Read More)
 
Fiserv partners with Brazil's Caixa Economica Federal in card deal; REUTERS   
 
Payments company Fiserv has reached a deal with Brazilian state-controlled lender Caixa Economica Federal to offer its card services to the bank's clients, according to a securities filing.The deal estimates a total payment volume processed of 457 billion reais ($84.06 billion) throughout the next 20 years. The value of the deal has not been disclosed.   (Read More)

Circle Launches Comprehensive NFT Platform & Marketplace Payments Solution; Press Release
 
Circle, a global financial technology firm that provides payments and treasury infrastructure for internet businesses, today announced a comprehensive payments solution for non-fungible token (NFT) marketplaces and storefronts that enables them to accept credit card and crypto payments alike in order to attract more mainstream audience adoption. Circle today also unveiled forthcoming features that will be made available over the coming months, including support USDC, BTC and ETH payments, NFT custodial services, and yield-generating Circle accounts for NFT market operators.   (Read More)
 
Santander accelerates the rollout of eco-friendly cards in Europe to support the bank’s green transition; Press Release
 
Banco Santander announced it is accelerating the rollout of eco-friendly cards in the Europe region, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and responsible banking and supporting its green transition. By 2025, all debit, credit and pre-paid cards across Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK will be made of sustainable materials, such as recycled PVC or corn-based plastic substitute.   (Read More)
 
Fintech: How COVID Affected Payments and the Underbanked; Hackernoon
 
The COVID-19 pandemic was a disruptor in the purest startup sense. The immediate shift to remote work, school, and socially distanced ways of life accelerated innovation by an estimated five years. Inequalities were laid bare across countless aspects of daily life, exposing some difficult truths. Among them: financial technology (fintech) and how developments on this front left the underbanked behind, exposing critical gaps in our financial systems.   (Read More)

New dates for ATMIA US 2021 conference, now June 23-25, 2021; Press Release
 
As effective vaccines are increasingly deployed, the worst of the pandemic will soon be over and the industry can start planning its recovery strategy and begin to enjoy in-person networking once again in growing safety.  The dates for the ATMIA USA Annual Conference and Expo have been pushed back almost two months to give this process time.  It is now scheduled for June 23-25, 2021 at the exciting Mandalay Bay Resort In Las Vegas, NV.     (Read More)
 
European banks seek technical partners to help build rival to Visa and Mastercard; Finextra
 
The European Payments Initiative, a bank-backed joint venture that aims to build a rival to Mastercard and Visa, has put out a Request for Information for 'qualified technical partners' to help build its central infrastructure.   (Read More)
 
Digital Wallets Eclipse Cash Globally at Point of Sale for First Time During Pandemic, FIS Study Finds; Press Release
 
In 2020, eCommerce spending grew at the fastest rate in five years, while usage of cash for in-store payments fell sharply, as global consumers made increasing use of mobile wallets and other alternative payment methods in 2020 during the pandemic, according to new report released today from financial technology leader FIS® (NYSE: FIS).   (Read More)

Square Register raises the bar with a new, comprehensive point-of-sale solution: Press Release
 
Today, Square has launched its latest hardware offering, Square Register, a fully integrated countertop point-of-sale (POS) solution, designed to give UK businesses with complex needs the versatility they need to manage sophisticated operations.   (Read More)
 
Cash machine use fell 38% in 2020 due to Covid contact fears; The Guardian
 
A sharp fall in cash machine usage last year has prompted a warning that more ATMs could end up being closed or imposing fees. Link, the UK’s largest cash machine network, said its latest data showed there was a 38% decline in ATM transactions in 2020, caused in large part by the coronavirus crisis.   (Read More)
 
 
Nine out of 10 UK card payments in 2020 were contactless; Computer Weekly
 
Despite many shops closing for long periods during various lockdowns to reduce the spread of Covid-19, the total value of contactless payments increased by 7% in 2020 compared to 2019. For example, there was a 29% increase in the use of contactless in UK grocery stores.   (Read More)

Mastercard, TSYS and Extend Launch Mobile Virtual Card Solution for Commercial Clients; Press Release
 
Mastercard and its partners, TSYS, a Global Payments company, and Extend, today introduced a mobile virtual card solution that enables virtual corporate cards to be easily loaded into a mobile wallet for fast and secure contactless payments.  (Read More)
 
Looking to emulate Venmo, JoomPay preps a Euro launch for easy bill splitting and cash payments; TechCrunch
 
JoomPay, a startup with a similar product to PayPal-owned Venmo in the U.S., is set to launch in Europe shortly after being granted a Luxembourg Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license. The app allows people to send and receive money with anyone, instantly and for free. “Venmo me” has become a common phrase in the U.S., where people use it to split bills in restaurants or similar instances. Venmo is in common use in the U.S., but it’s not available in Europe, although dozens of other innovative mobile peer to peer transfer options exist, such as Revolut, N26, Monese and Monzo. The waitlist for the app’s beta is open now (iOS, Android).  (Read More)
 
Payment Alliance International Adds Bitcoin to Cash Capabilities; Press Release
 
Payment Alliance International (PAI), the U.S. leader in ATM portfolio management tools and services, today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with B4U Financial to better serve liquidity needs of the fast-growing cryptocurrency market. PAI’s nationwide fleet of ATMs will be equipped with BitLoad4U (B4U) capabilities, including the ability to redeem bitcoin for cash at ATMs using any cryptocurrency mobile wallet. B4U Financial’s global processing network will be used to manage authorization, clearing and settlement, providing a safe, secure, convenient and reliable way to liquidate bitcoin into fiat currency and receive funds at ATMs.  (Read More)

Western Union Expands Real-Time Payout; Press Release
 
Western Union (NYSE: WU), a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, announced it has further expanded its global digital network for funds payout and increased the availability of real-time payouts, advancing the company’s goal of building the world’s largest funds collection and distribution network to meet the growing customer demand for transparency, immediacy, and reliability.   (Read More)
 
TransferGo and Visa introduce real-time global transfers; FinTech
 
UK-based financial services company TransferGo has partnered with Visa to enable real-time international transfer services for customers. Launched in 2012, TransferGo was created by Forbes’ 2017 ‘30 under 30’ selectee Daumantas Dvilinskas. Inspired by first-hand experiences with legacy payments structures, Dvilinskas decided to create a company dedicated to making money transfers fast, affordable and secure.   (Read More)
 
Alliance Data Selects Fiserv for Credit Processing Services; Press Release
 
Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading provider of data-driven marketing, loyalty and payment solutions, today announced that its Card Services business, a premier provider of branded private label, co-brand and commercial card programs, has signed an agreement to transition credit card processing services to Fiserv (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions.   (Read More)

New Study Reveals Cash Is Still King Amid Pandemic, Fueling Investment in AP and AR Automation; Press Release
 
Bill.com, a leading provider of cloud-based software that simplifies, digitizes and automates complex back-office financial operations for small and midsize businesses (SMBs), today announced the findings of a study in collaboration with CFO Research, the research arm of CFO.com, that identifies cash flow management as the top driver of finance leaders’ investment in accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) automation. The study, titled “CFOs' Appetite for Finance Technology Undiminished,” was developed through a survey of more than 300 finance leaders on their priorities and plans for automating finance processes. More than 91 percent of respondents indicated they are investing in financial technology to help their teams work remotely, and more than 88 percent are investing in solutions to improve cash flow.   (Read More)
 
Cash payments no longer the only option for Utah cannabis patients; The Salt Lake Tribune
 
Utah’s medical cannabis patients are now allowed by the state to spend their money inside marijuana pharmacies, but that doesn’t mean the nation’s major financial institutions want their fingerprints on transactions involving the federally illegal substance.   (Read More)
 
Mastercard Expands its Digital First Card Program Amid Growing Demand for Digitally Driven Money Management Solutions; Press Release
 
Mastercard’s Digital First Card Program lays the foundation for issuing banks, fintechs, and traditional co-brand partners to offer end-to-end payments solutions to cardholders.   (Read More)

Cash and the Pandemic: New Report from Square; Square Report 
 
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept through the UK, every business owner has had to think deeply about their day-to-day operations and the future, all while implementing the government guidelines to trade safely.   (Read More)
 
Capital One Cuts Card Limits Amid U.S. Jobless-Aid Impasse; Bloomberg
 
Capital One Financial Corp. is cutting borrowing limits on credit cards, reining in its exposure as the U.S. reduces support for millions of unemployed Americans.   (Read More)
 
Ex-Bank of America employees allege ‘extreme pressure' to sell credit cards; American Banker
 
Seeking to avoid a repeat of the phony-accounts scandal at Wells Fargo, U.S. regulators in late 2016 opened examinations of the sales practices at other big banks.   (Read More)

United States Mint Issues Statement on Circulating Coins; Press Release
 
The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in the disruption of the supply channels of circulating coinage – the pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters that the American people and businesses use in their day-to-day transactions. The United States Mint is part of the solution to this issue, but we need your help as well.    (Read More)
 
Marqeta’s Modern Card Issuing Platform to Deliver Commercial Card Tokenization for J.P. Morgan; Press Release
 
OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marqeta, the global modern card issuing platform, announced today that J.P. Morgan will leverage Marqeta’s unique card tokenization capabilities for its virtual card program. This new functionality, anticipated to be available in early 2021, will integrate with J.P. Morgan’s existing systems and enable instant issuance of virtual cards into mobile wallets for J.P. Morgan’s Commercial Card clients.    (Read More)
 
Paysafe to Acquire Openbucks; Press Release
 
LONDON & HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, today announces its acquisition of US-based payment technology company, Openbucks, for an undisclosed sum. Openbucks is a payment gateway that allows online merchants to accept retail gift cards as an alternative form of payment to credit cards, something that is particularly popular amongst online gaming and eSports operators. For Paysafe, this latest investment forms part of its strategy to further expand its cash alternative payment offering in the US, one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets with revenue projected to grow from $374bn in 2020 to $476bn by 2024.    (Read More)

SoFi Awards Cardtronics ATM Services Agreement and Joins Allpoint Network for Surcharge-Free Cash Withdrawals; Press Release
 
SoFi, an American fintech leader and personal finance innovator, has joined with Cardtronics to give its members surcharge-free cash access at 55,000 Allpoint ATMs worldwide, including several ATMs at the new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.  (Read More)
 
Credit card industry reins in balance-transfer offers as banks from JPMorgan to Amex fear defaults; CNBC
 
Banks have pulled back from a popular credit card promotion on concerns that borrowers struggling during the coronavirus crisis may leave them with defaulting loans.    (Read More)
 
Karat launches a credit card for online creators; TechCrunch
 
Karat is a new startup promising to build better banking products for the creators who make a living on YouTube, Instagram, Twitch and other online platforms. Today it’s unveiling its first product — the Karat Black Card.   (Read More)

Walmart And Green Dot Beef up the MoneyCard With a New Savings Rate And Other Features; Digital Transactions
 
Looking to make their reloadable prepaid card more attractive as retailers and consumers alike deal with the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, Walmart Inc. and Green Dot Corp. on Tuesday said they are now offering a 2% rate on the Walmart MoneyCard’s associated savings account.   (Read More)
 
Stripe launches in five more European countries; Press Release
 
Stripe, a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet, today announced its official launch in the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Malta.  (Read More)
 
Shopify announces a new merchant debit card and support for payment installment plans; TechCrunch
 
Shopify is announcing several new products and features today at Reunite, a virtual conference for the one million merchants using the company’s e-commerce platform.     (Read More)

Cash matters – now, more than ever, in the time of coronavirus; ATMIA
 
Groups representing the currency, ATM, transportation and security sectors call on governments, central banks, media, business and society to stand up for cash to protect the resilience of the existing payment ecosystem and ensure vulnerable groups are not deprived of the only means of payment that is available to all. Cash is safe: we should stop stigmatizing its users.   (Read More)
 
Visa gives Kenya's Safaricom 'missing link' for global payments; Reuters
 
Visa and Safaricom have agreed a deal which will connect the Kenyan telecom operator’s M-Pesa financial services platform with Visa’s global network of merchants and cards.   (Read More)
 
Galileo Financial Technologies Pioneers Expansion into Mexico with Mastercard Certification and Major Strategic Partnership with Klar; Press Release
 
Galileo, the trusted technology partner that powers world-leading fintech businesses, announced its Mastercard certification in Mexico and new partnership with a major fintech company in the Mexican market. These two events further strengthen Galileo's expansion into the region.   (Read More)

Visa Inc. is delaying the rollout of a new fee structure during the coronavirus slowdown. 

The fee changes, in the works for months, would raise the cost of credit-card transactions for many merchants, while lowering them for others. They'll take effect in July instead of April.  (Read More)

Plastiq raises $75M to help small businesses use credit cards more; TechCrunch

When Eliot Buchanan tried to use his credit card to pay his Harvard tuition bill, the payment was rejected because the university said it doesn’t accept credit. Realizing the same problem exists for thousands of different transactions like board, rent and vendor payments, he launched Plastiq. Plastiq helps people use credit cards to pay, or get paid, for anything.    (Read More)

Here’s how hard the coronavirus shutdown will bite the big credit card lenders; MarketWatch
 
As identified coronavirus infections increase rapidly in the U.S., the biggest economic effects will be felt months from now. 
Still, analysts at Oppenheimer have projected that five U.S. credit card lenders will remain profitable in 2021, despite a large increase in loan losses. Those projections are below.    (Read More)

Ramp, a corporate credit card to rival Brex and Amex, raises $25 million; Fortune
 
A new credit card startup is taking aim at American Express and other stalwarts that have long dominated corporate expense accounts. Ramp, a New York-based fintech firm whose founders sold their last venture to Capital One, has raised $25 million and signed up nearly 100 businesses to its card, the company announced Wednesday.   (Read More)
 
Coopetition, not competition, is Asia-Pacific's path to cash-free future; TheJakartaPost
 
Asia-Pacific’s e-commerce boom has given rise to a vibrant digital payments landscape, yet the race for attention and customer retention is bleeding companies dry. To sustainably realize our cashless future, payment providers must learn to embrace their “frenemies”.   (Read More)
 
FIS Extends Partnership with PayPal to Enable U.S. Cardholders to Redeem Loyalty Points for Purchases; Press Release
 
FIS™ and PayPal are extending their partnership to enable millions of cardholders of U.S. financial institutions to participate in PayPal’s Pay with Rewards. Beginning in Q3 2020, cardholders of thousands of financial institutions participating in FIS’ Premium Payback loyalty network will be able to use their eligible card loyalty points to pay for eligible online purchases at millions of PayPal merchants globally.    (Read More)

Britain bans UK consumers from using credit cards to gamble; Reuters
 
Britain’s 24 million adult gamblers will not be able to use credit cards to gamble under a new rule designed to prevent consumers from building up too much debt. The Gambling Commission said on Tuesday the ban, which comes into effect on April 14 2020, will apply to all online and offline gambling products apart from ‘non-remote lotteries’ - lotteries where payment is made face-to-face.       (Read More)
 
Consumers Make More On-Us ATM Cash Withdrawals, Fed Data Show; Digital Transactions
 
Despite the decades-old rise of electronic payments at the expense of cash, the rate of decrease in ATM cash withdrawals has slowed down, and more consumers are avoiding fees by using their own financial institution’s ATMs, according to the Federal Reserve.       (Read More)
 
AmEx Moves Closer to Entering China’s $27 Trillion Market; Bloomberg
 
American Express Co. cleared a key hurdle in its bid to accessing China’s $27 trillion payments market after the central bank accepted its application to start a bank card clearing business.       (Read More)

Retailers Don’t Like Paying the Fees for Your Apple Card; Bloomberg Businessweek
 
Premium plastic has become a flashpoint in negotiations between the country’s largest stores and the Visa and Mastercard networks.   (Read)
 
Discover remains the most widely accepted card scheme worldwide; Press Release
 
The influence of China on global card acceptance is shown by the fact that Discover is accepted at more outlets than Visa and Mastercard as a result of agreements with UnionPay and other schemes.    (Read)
 
Apple Card’s interest-free iPhone installment plan goes live, now with 6% back on Apple holiday purchases; TechCrunch
 
Apple is today launching a new feature for Apple Card which allows cardholders to purchase a new iPhone then pay it back over 24 months with no interest. The company announced its plans for the program during its October earnings call, but now the program is actually opening up to all Apple Card customers.   (Read)

White Paper on Dual Migration to Windows 10 and Next Gen ATM Architecture; Press Release
 
Sometimes an industry finds itself at the crossroads. Such a time has arrived for the global ATM industry. It’s now about choosing the right path into the future. Time has conspired to bring about two massive industry projects in the same time frame. Firstly, the 2020 sunset for support for the W7 operating system for ATMs is rapidly approaching. At the same time, ATMIA is guiding the global industry on its most ambitious future-proofing exercise to date – the migration to next generation ATMs and our blueprint for a new API App model for ATMs.       (Read More)
 
Retail ATMs, Prepaid Cards Partially Fill Growing Void as Banks Close Rural Branches; Digital Transactions
 
Banks have closed thousands of branches in recent years, hitting rural America especially hard and leaving retail ATMs, prepaid cards, and services from non-bank providers to fill the void, according to a new Federal Reserve report.   (Read More)
 
Cornèr Banca issues biometric payment card; NFCW
 
Swiss bank Cornèr Banca has launched a biometric payment card that lets customers make contactless payments without being restricted to the usual CHF40 (US$40) contactless transaction limit.       (Read More)

Mastercard’s Top and Bottom Lines Benefit as Transaction Volume Jumps 20%; Digital Transactions
 
Mastercard Inc. switched 20% more transactions on its worldwide network in the third quarter than it did a year earlier as purchase volumes remained strong and new growth markets generated more payments. “Growth was broad-based,” Mastercard president and chief executive Ajay Banga said Tuesday morning during the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call with analysts.   (Read More)
 
Uber announces deeper push into financial services with Uber Money; CNBC
 
The company announced on Monday the formation of a new division called Uber Money to house its efforts, which include a digital wallet and upgraded debit and credit cards. The emphasis, at first, will be expanding Uber’s efforts to give its 4 million-plus drivers and couriers around the world access to a mobile bank account so they can get paid after each ride, according to Peter Hazlehurst, who will head the new division.   (Read More)
 
The Role of Cash In/Cash Out in Digital Financial Inclusion; CGAP Blog
 
There’s a common assumption in the financial inclusion community that the best way to dethrone cash in emerging markets is to devise more use cases for digital financial services (DFS) that are so compelling that customers will prefer them over cash. While there is evidence that customer-centric products lead to DFS uptake and customer retention, new evidence suggests that cash-in/cash-out (CICO) networks play a critical role in a country’s transition from cash-based to fully digital financial systems.  (Read More)

Here’s how the new Apple Card could put pressure on Verizon and AT&T; CNBC
 
Apple’s new credit card with Goldman Sachs could be a disruptive force in more than just the banking industry, according to two analysts at MoffettNathanson.   (Read More)
 
Payment Alliance International Acquires Eclipse Cash Systems; Press Release
 
Payment Alliance International (PAI), a leader in ATM portfolio management tools and services, announced today that it has acquired Arizona-based ATM operator Eclipse Cash Systems. The acquisition adds more than 15,000 ATM terminals and brings an additional four financial institution partnerships to PAI’s existing nationwide network of over 75,000 ATMs. Eclipse’s strong mobile events portfolio and direct ATM placement business nicely augment PAI’s business lines.    (Read More)
 
Square integrates with POS software Goodtill; Verdict
 
Payments company Square has announced its integration with Goodtill point-of-sale (POS). This gives Square access to functionalities such as loyalty capabilities and inventory management. Furthermore, businesses with Goodtill are now able to process payments using Square.    (Read More)

Bitcoin ATMs Show Gap in EU’s Money Laundering Rules, Police Say; Bloomberg
 
A Spanish effort to prosecute a gang that used Bitcoin automated cash machines suspected of being a front for illegal-drug payments has exposed a hole in European anti-money-laundering controls, law-enforcement authorities in the country said.   (Read More)
 
InstaRem launches platform that allows fintechs, enterprises to create own payment cards; Mobile Payments Today
 
InstaRem, a cross-border payments and money transfer company in the Southeast Asian market, said it launched an API-based digital platform that allows fintechs, startup companies and enterprises to create their own branded cards, according to a press release.  (Read More)
 
Can New Tech And New Rules Finally Stop the Plague of Mounting Chargebacks? Digital Transactions
 
Visa Inc. and Mastercard Inc. may be making significant progress in their bid to simplify and speed their aged and cumbersome chargeback processes through automation, rules changes, and some key acquisitions, experts contend.  (Read More)

Venezuela to ditch Visa & Mastercard by early 2020; RT News
 
The central bank of Venezuela will develop an independent national payment system to get rid of international giants Visa and Mastercard in response to US sanctions, according to local media citing the regulator. (Read More)
 
The Number of ATMs Around the World Has Fallen for the First Time; Bloomberg
 
In the wake of the economic crisis, Paul Volcker called automated teller machines the last financial innovation that improved society. A decade later, their popularity is slipping.  (Read More)
 
Contactless card rollout could push US mobile payment users back to plastic; NFC World
 
Familiarity with mobile payments could help to drive adoption of contactless cards in the US but could in turn move those that have already adopted mobile payments back to physical methods of payment, according to a new issue of Auriemma Research’s Mobile Pay Tracker.  (Read More)

Sweetgreen Will Once Again Accept Cash; Bloomberg
 
Starting in December 2016, fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen stopped accepting cash at restaurants across the U.S. The move was immediately controversial, but it took more than two years for the company to reverse the decision.  (Read More)
 
Point of Sales (POS) Terminals Market to Reach a Market Size of $92.2 Billion by 2024 - KBV Research; Press Release
 
According to a new report Global Point of Sales (POS) Terminals Market, published by KBV research, The Global Point of Sales (POS) Terminals Market size is expected to reach $92.2 billion by 2024, rising at a market growth of 7.4% CAGR during the forecast period. The increased Internet penetration and payment solutions, such as online payments, stationary telephones and mobile payments have given the POS terminal market a boost.  (Read More)
 
Brazil's Pagseguro launches instant payment feature for debit and credit card transactions; Reuters
 
Brazilian card processor Pagseguro Digital Ltd said it will offer instant payments for merchants in debit and credit card transactions, according to a securities filing on Monday.  (Read More)

NJ governor signs ban on cashless retail; Mobile Payments Today
 
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation that requires retailers and restaurants to accept cash, effectively banning merchants in the state from joining a cashless trend emerging in markets across the U.S. (Read More)
 
Japan launches Cashless Week Campaign for Golden Week holiday; FinTech
 
Japan will run a campaign across the 10 days called The Cashless Week, run jointly by the industry ministry and the Payments Japan Association, which consists of companies and municipalities.  (Read More)
 
Contactless card use surges as doubts ease; BBC News
 
Two in five card payments are made using contactless technology as consumers appear to have cast aside any doubts of paying without a Pin. The number of transactions using contactless rose 31% in 2018 compared with the previous year, banking trade body UK Finance data shows.  (Read More)

ATMIA and the ATM Security Association Join Forces Permanently; Press Release
 
The ATM Security Association (ASA) and the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) this week signed a final agreement to join forces and work together on a permanent basis. ASA will retain its name and logo and will now fall under the governance and ownership of ATMIA.   (Read More)
 
Fraud Allegations Put Wirecard’s Shy Billionaire CEO in the Spotlight; Bloomberg
 
In his 17 years as chief executive officer of Germany’s Wirecard AG, Markus Braun has gained plenty of experience fighting off skeptics and critics.  (Read More)
 
Globalization Helped Make Stripe a $23 Billion Company. Here’s What Comes Next; Bloomberg
 
In 2010, when Patrick Collison founded Stripe Inc. with his younger brother John, he thought the world was headed toward ever-increasing globalization, economic stability and international commerce.  (Read More)

Wirecard releases Visa card for Chinese tourists; Banking Technology
 
Wirecard and Ctrip, the online travel agent in China, are co-launching multi-currency Visa cards, which support seven currencies, eliminating the need to exchange currency abroad.  (Read More)
 
UnionPay International gives global developers access to its APIs; Press Release
 
UnionPay International (UPI) today announced the launch of the UPI Developer, an open platform that gives global developers access to 18 of UnionPay's cross-border mobile Internet payment products and services in the first phase. Through the platform's application programming interface (API), developers can integrate UnionPay's technical services into their products efficiently and cost-effectively, thus providing UnionPay cardholders with more payment scenarios and services and enhancing their payment experience.  (Read More)
 
UK CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS OVERTAKES CASH FOR FIRST TIME; Business Cloud
 
Last year saw a 15 per cent drop in notes and coins usage, strengthened by the growing popularity of contactless cards according to a new study. With €106.7 trillion revenue in 2017, the United Kingdom are the leading nation for cashless payments across Europe.  (Read More)

Galileo and Robinhood Partner on Robinhood Checking & Savings; Press Release
 
Galileo, a leading and trusted technology partner for fintech and payments, today announced that its technology and know-how is helping to power Robinhood Checking & Savings, unveiled this morning in a blog post from Robinhood. Galileo's highly customizable payments infrastructure has been integrated into Robinhood Checking & Savings, which earns three percent annual interest, has no fees, and offers access to over 75,000 free ATMs.  (Read More)
 
Ingo Money QuickConnect Maximizes Visa Direct Integration for Push-to-Card Payments; Press Release
 
 Instant money company Ingo Money today launched Ingo Money QuickConnect, a new turnkey solution that allows any company issuing disbursements to customers to quickly and easily begin offering push-to-card payments through Visa Direct. Designed to help merchants, corporations, banks and others accelerate the deployment of Visa Direct-powered real-time corporate disbursements, the new solution includes: bank sponsorship, user authentication and account verification tools, intelligent payment routing, and more.  (Read More)
 
Government Releases Report on Campus Prepaid Card and Deposit-Account Fees; Digital Transactions
 
The report was prepared by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the Education Department and completed in February, but not released until Friday. The release came only after former CFPB officials tipped off journalists and consumer groups of its existence, resulting in demands under the Freedom of Information Act for its release, according to U.S. PIRG, the Washington, D.C.-based federation of state public-interest research groups.  (Read More)

Our top 7 reasons you need to be at ATMIA US 2019! ATMIA Conferences
 
If you play any role in the ATM channel, the ATMIA 20th annual U.S. conference and expo is the one event that you simply must not miss! So, here are our lucky seven (of the many) reasons that you should participate  (Read More)
 
Exclusive Savings Offer for ATMIA Members; ATMIA Press Release
 
ATMIA members receive a substantial discount on ATMIA reports.  We encourage you to get your staff up to speed and purchase our new beneficial reports today.     (Read More)
 
PNC Bank to offer dynamic CVV cards to commercial customers; NFC World
 
PNC Bank is piloting dynamic CVV cards that use an e-ink screen on the reverse of the card to display a continuously updated three-digit CVV security code. The US-based bank plans to begin offering the cards to its Treasury Management division’s commercial cardholders in early 2019.   (Read More)

The ATM Industry Association Launches Next Gen ATM Architecture to Inspire a New Generation of Consumers; Press Release
 
ATMIA launched the next gen API App model for ATMs which has been developed for an industry with over 3.2 million ATMs by a Consortium made up of over 180 companies across the world.  (Read More)
 
Amazon adds new Business Prime benefits, including a credit card; ZDNet
 
Amazon on Tuesday rolled out new benefits for its Amazon Business Prime members, including access to a new credit card offered jointly with American Express. The AmazonBusiness American Express Card, for US customers, has no annual fee, and it offers businesses 5 percent back or 90-day interest-free payment terms on eligible purchases.  (Read More)
 
French bank pilots fingerprint card that removes the contactless transaction limit; NFC World
 
Societe Generale is testing the idea of issuing bank cards that incorporate a built-in fingerprint verification sensor with the aim of using the added security the cards provide to allow customers to make contactless payments “with no limit on the amount.”  (Read More)

Few Hits and Many Misses From India's Cash Ban After 2 Years; Bloomberg
 
India’s shock move to ban high-denomination currency notes almost two years ago caused much hardship, with limited benefits.   (Read More)
 
Retailers continue fight against Visa and Mastercard even after record $6.2 billion settlement; Payments
 
Visa and Mastercard will have to continue rolling with the punches as it becomes clear that even the record $6.2 billion settlementmade last week won’t be enough to end the long-running battle with the US’s biggest retailers.  (Read More)
 
Should cashless retail stores be banned? The Guardian
 
Amazon and Walmart are fighting a New Jersey bill that would require stores to accept cash. But do cashless shops really make business sense?  (Read More)

ATMIA Webinar "Introducing Next Gen ATM Ecosystem Security & Standards to the World" Press Release
 
ATMIA’s CEO and chairman of the Consortium for Next Generation ATMs will moderate a panel of experts to explain how the global project will impact the industry during the next five years and beyond.  (Read More)
 
Paying by card? You're less likely to remember the amount spent; Finextra
 
The old axiom that people tend to up their spending when paying by card rather than with cash may lie in the recall accuracy of individual consumers, according to research published by the University of Cologne and the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt.  (Read More)
 
Kroger’s California Boycott of Visa Credit Cards Begins as the Grocer Mulls a Possible Expansion; Digital Transactions
 
The boycott of Visa credit cards by The Kroger Co.’s Foods Co chain in central and northern California began Tuesday as planned, but the parent company still won’t say whether the boycott will be expanded to its many other units.  (Read More)

ATMIA Webinar: Introducing Next Gen ATM Ecosystem Security & Standards to the World; Press Release
 
ATMIA’s CEO and chairman of the Consortium for Next Generation ATMs will moderate a panel of experts to explain how the global project will impact the industry during the next five years and beyond.      (Read More)
 
China goes increasingly cashless, PBOC says cash payment is still alive; South China Morning Post
 
The central bank in China, the world largest mobile payment market, is urging individuals and companies to not refuse or discriminate against cash payment. The People’s Bank of China notice on Friday to dial down what it calls an “overhype” of a cashless society comes as mobile payment volumes continue to soar to new heights.       (Read More)
 
UnionPay partners with La Banque Postale to expand card acceptance; Cards International
 
UnionPay International has partnered with French bank La Banque Postale to expand the acceptance of its cards across the country, with focus on tourist attractions and public transportation.       (Read More

Are you waiting, hoping and looking for the "next big thing" in the ATM industry?  It's already here – the Consortium for Next-Gen ATMs!
 
Building on efforts to shed the need for repetitive operating system migrations and reduce the cost of innovation, ATM acquirers and manufacturers have coalesced into a Consortium that is developing a framework for the ATM of the future.  A cloud-based infrastructure will host app-based ATMs using modular components, relying on the customer’s own mobile device as the interface.  ATMIA has posted a concept video to its YouTube channel page.       (Read More)
 
Wells Fargo simplifies payments pricing to compete with Square; American Banker
 
Wells Fargo will simplify the prices it charges small businesses to accept credit and debit card transactions as the bank responds to pressure from startups such as Jack Dorsey’s Square Inc.    (Read More)
 
Mastercard Patent Would Put Credit Cards on a Public Blockchain; Coindesk
 
Payments giant Mastercard is exploring the use of public blockchains in securely verifying payment cards at the point of sale, public documents show.    (Read More)

Join the Battle Against ATM "Jackpotting" and Skimming; ATMIA Press Release
 
SIOUX FALLS, SD, May 21, 2018.  Recent data from the U.S. Secret Service shows that there have been 129 incidents of ATM jackpotting, just since May of last year. Results of the current ATMIA Annual Fraud Survey confirm as well that skimming attacks are becoming far more sophisticated and still account for the majority of ATM crime.  It is time for all ATM deployers to join the battle against jackpotting and skimming.   (Read More)
 
Legalized sports gambling could be a boon for huge credit-card banks; Yahoo Finance
 
Credit card companies may stand to benefit significantly from a Supreme Court ruling that paves the way for legalized sports betting across the U.S. “Credit card companies have generally steered clear of allowing gambling-related transactions,” wrote Matt Schulz, a senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. “However, the sheer amount of money that this Supreme Court ruling will unleash is likely to make the big credit card banks rethink their stance.”  (Read More)
 
National Bank of Kuwait and Mastercard make GCC debut of pioneering biometric solutions; Press Release
 
Identity Check offers an innovative authentication solution for online transactions, while biometric card features an embedded fingerprint sensor to provide an additional layer of security when making payments in-store.  (Read More)
 
Coinstar Teams with Amazon to Provide Amazon Cash Reload Sites; Press Release
 
Coinstar announced that customers can now add cash to their Amazon Balance by using Amazon Cash at select Coinstar® kiosks across the country. "We're excited to team up with Amazon and give shoppers an easy and convenient way to add cash to their Amazon Balance," said Jim Gaherity, CEO of Coinstar, LLC. "Coinstar is proud to enable Amazon Cash at Coinstar kiosks for cash-preferring customers, who can now enjoy the same benefits of shopping online as any other customer. Best of all, there are no fees to use the service."   (Read More)

DETAILED REPORT ON FINAL ATMIA EMV SURVEY NOW AVAILABLE
 
Report reveals significant progress with ATM channel migration and also highlights post-migration challenges and strategies. (Read More)
 
Trump Commits to Resolve State-Federal Marijuana Law Conflict; Credit Union Times
 
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said Friday he received a commitment from President Donald Trump that the Department of Justice’s rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorado’s legal marijuana industry.     (Read More)
 
India’s ATM crisis proves that demonetization failed and cash remains king; Quartz
 
For weeks now, ATMs across India have been displaying the “no cash” sign. The situation came to a head in the past few days, setting off a panic wave.    (Read More)
 
JCB Pilot of Japan's First Fingerprint Authentication Chip Card from IDEMIA; Press Release
 
JCB Co. Ltd, the only international payments brand based in Japan, will conduct a pilot trial of its latest JCB Biometrics Card with fingerprint authentication. JCB Contactless's payment solution is provided by IDEMIA, a global Augmented Identity leader. Toppan Printing will also take part in the demonstration trial in respect of card personalization.     (Read More)

Countdown to the Grand Launch of Next Generation ATM Architecture; Press Release
 
ATMIA announced that next generation ATM architecture will be launched at the association’s main European event  “ATM & Payments Innovation Summit” which takes place on 17th-19th October, 2018 at the Eurostars Madrid Tower Hotel.  (Read More)
 
Swedish Opposition to Cash-Free Economy Gains Momentum; Pulitzer Center
 
On the front door of a bank only a block away from Stockholm’s Central station is a sign that reads “Inga kontanter” with an English translation below: No cash available. Walk a few more blocks under the gray winter sky, and see signs hanging on the front doors of coffee shops that say “Endast kreditkort” or “Vi är en kontanantfri coffee shop” — “only credit cards” and “we are a cash-free coffee shop,” respectively. Amble through the gift shops of the ABBA Museum or Fotograsfika, a popular contemporary photography center, and signs near the register alert customers that they, too, do not accept cash.    (Read More)
 
More than 80% of Canadian small businesses want more payment options; Verdict
 
Small businesses in Canada are ready for more payment options, according to a new Payments Canada survey. Businesses want more choice for their customers at point-of-sale and more options for their back-office payments to suppliers and vendors, such as e-transfers, e-wallets and digital currencies.    (Read More)
 
Swipe, Insert, and Tap Comes to Metal Cards With XCore's Proprietary Contactless Technology; Press Release
 
XCore Technologies has introduced a proprietary metal card design coupled with its proprietary encapsulation process to overcome the shortcomings of earlier generations of Metal Dual Interface (DI) cards. With the current suite of competitors' metal cards, the metal interferes with the antennae making it difficult to execute contactless transactions. XCore Technologies' Metal Core and full Metal cards solve this problem. They behave just like any standard Dual Interface PVC cards allowing users to swipe, insert, or tap from any orientation.    (Read More)

In Nigeria you need cash for everything, the problem is actually getting hold of it; Quartz Media
 
Anytime Oghenefega Otitifore, an engineer living in Okearo, needs to withdraw cash, she does not bother going to the ATM. In all of Okearo, a suburb just a few kilometers outside Lagos, there are only two ATMs—one is plagued with long queues and the ever present “unable to dispense cash” message on the screens while the other rarely works. Instead, she goes to a shop to withdraw cash. This shop represents a growing brand of businesses that operate as alternatives to ATMs.   (Read More)
 
Tim Cook Wants You to Dump Cash; finews
 
If Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook had his way, he would never use cash again. His company is eyeing deeper financial services penetration, a move that is meeting with resistance by the established financial services industry in some regions.     (Read More)
 
Consumers and U.S. ATM Industry Petition VISA to Lift Ban on Dynamic Currency Conversion Services; Press Release
 
A public petition on behalf of consumers and the U.S. ATM industry (the "Petition"), has been formally submitted to VISA by The National ATM Council, Inc.  ("NAC"), seeking elimination of current network rules prohibiting Dynamic Currency Conversion ("DCC") services for international VISA cardholders using ATMs in the U.S.    (Read More)

ATMIA PUBLISHES COMPILATION EBOOK COMMEMORATING THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE ATM; Press Release
 
The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) has published “Meet the People Behind the ATM You Use Every Day,” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ATM as well as ATMIA’s 20th anniversary. The eBook is a compilation of the dynamic stories told by a variety of people and companies active in both ATMIA and the ATM industry which were published by the association throughout the year.    (Read More)

Visa Makes Signature Optional for EMV Merchants in North America; Press Release
 
To continue the ongoing migration to EMV chip, and to bring increased security and convenience to the point of sale, Visa is making the signature requirement optional for all EMV contact or contactless chip-enabled merchants in North America, beginning April 2018. Simultaneously, Visa continues to invest in emerging capabilities that leverage advanced analytics and biometrics to define the future of payments security.   (Read More)
 
Visa debuts connected payment card that pushes real-time alerts, coupons; Mobile Marketer
 
U.S. consumers have shown a reluctance to pay for things with mobile devices given the ease of using plastic debit and credit cards, which may give Visa and Dynamics an advantage in marketing Wallet Card. The IoT device comes equipped with plenty of built-in technology and, in linking together different accounts and cards for the user in one place, it could help de-clutter wallets and simplify mobile payments options.    (Read More)
 
How a cashless society is boosting the fortunes of London's homeless; The National
 
A new company, called TAP London, employs people living on the streets to raise money for homeless charities via contactless payments.    (Read More)

ATMIA Calling all supporters of cash! 
 
The Withdraw Cash Wednesday social media campaign is up and running. See the video, Facebook, Twitter and website, encouraging consumers to visit ATMs every Wednesday and spend with cash for the upcoming weekend.
 
The ATM Industry Association (ATMIA) is pleased to welcome Cardtronics and Allpoint Network as Platinum Sponsors in support of the Withdraw Cash Wednesday campaign targeted at promoting consumer cash use throughout the upcoming holiday season.      (Read More)
 
Wirecard makes Mastercard’s Pay by Bank app available to UK merchants; Cards International
 
Wirecard has introduced Mastercard’s fully digital payment app, Pay by Bank, to all its online merchants in the UK. Developed by Mastercard’s Vocalink unit, Pay by Bank facilitates digital debit payments through a user’s banking app and directly from their current account.   (Read More)
 
VeriFone Unloads Its Taxi Business, But Confronts a Challenging U.S. Market; Digital Transactions
 
VeriFone Systems Inc. has finally shed its underperforming taxi business, but it still faces a North American market hampered by a three-year delay in an EMV deadline for U.S. petroleum marketers.   (Read More)
 
Another startup is attempting to make all-in-one credit cards a thing; The Verge
 
Smart credit cards that let you toggle between multiple digitally saved credit cards haven't had a great run. Plastc, which raised more than $9 million in preorders, failed to ever ship a product and filed for bankruptcy. Coin, on the other hand, managed to ship a card, but ended its product services after Fitbit acquired the company. Still, the dream isn't dead, yet.    (Read More)

Will Cash Disappear? The New York Times
 
Cash is unlikely to go away soon. Coins and paper currency remain the most popular ways to pay for things in most countries. But longer term, cash appears to be in a losing battle with electronic payment methods.     (Read More)
 
Visa follows, or leads, AmEx and Mastercard; enterprise times
 
In late 2016, Visa previewed B2B Connect, its offering-to-be to transform the business-to-business (B2B) payments space. Since then, it has worked at partnering with financial institutions around the world to transform the 2016 vision into a platform that can now process bank-to-bank test transactions ahead of a full commercial launch in mid-2018.    (Read More)
 
Tap to Activate Your Debit Card; monzo
 
Whether you’re a brand new user or you’ve been with us from the start, we want to make sure it’s as simple as possible for you to signup for Monzo and start using it straight away.     (Read More)

PayNearMe Helps NYC Residents and Visitors Pay Parking Tickets with Cash; Press Release
 
PayNearMe®, a brand of Handle Financial, today announced a partnership with the New York City Department of Finance that enables New York City drivers to pay for parking tickets in cash at over 100 7-Eleven locations in all five boroughs, many of which are open 24/7.   (Read More)
 
Uber introduces a credit card; TechCrunch
 
Announced in partnership with Barclays and Visa at the Money2020 conference in Las Vegas, the new card gives Uber yet another point of access to incredibly valuable customer information and marks another front in its campaign to assume a larger role in online and offline commerce.   (Read More)
 
Mastercard and Western Union Team Up on Transfers to U.S. Debit Cards; Press Release
 
Today Mastercard and The Western Union Company announced they are working together to integrate Mastercard Send into the Western Union Money Transfer® service, allowing Western Union to deliver funds to virtually all U.S. debit cards. The alliance opens a new channel for U.S. consumers to quickly and conveniently send money via Western Union to the debit cards people use every day, including non-Mastercard cards. Western Union is the money transfer industry’s first to offer the debit card-enabled service via the Mastercard Send platform in the United States.     (Read More)

ATM at 50: An oddity then, but it changed consumer behavior; Boston Globe
 
An automated teller machine. The cash machine. In Britain, a cashpoint. ATMs, known for spitting out $20 bills (and imposing fees if you pick the wrong one), turn 50 years old this year. They’re ubiquitous — and possibly still a necessity, despite the big changes in how people pay for things.   (Read More)
 
GoCardless, a fintech that makes recurring payments easy for subscription businesses, raises $22.5M; TechCrunch
 
Well, GoCardless co-founder and CEO Hiroki Takeuchi knows how to work a non-denial denial. When I interviewed him a few weeks ago for an extensive profile piece we ran yesterday, he wouldn’t be drawn on if the hot London fintech was raising a new round. Today — and a little earlier than was planned, thanks to an embargo broken by a London regional paper a week early! — the company is announcing new funding.       (Read More)
 
Consumers to abandon cash by 2020; Press Release
 
More than half (54 per cent) of consumers expect to abandon using cash for shopping in the next two years, according to new research conducted by Paysafe, a leading global payments provider. The report, called Lost in Transaction, uncovered the rapid move towards a cash-free economy with nearly half (49 per cent) of people only visiting an ATM once a month or less, and one in six saying they rarely carry cash at all, with that figure rising to one in five for under 34s. With the research showing two thirds (64 per cent) of people carrying less cash than a year ago, the move away from physical notes and coins only looks set to continue.     (Read More)
 

The NRF Expects Eight in 10 Small Retailers To Have EMV Terminals by Year’s End: Digital Transactions
 
Smaller retailers haven’t yet closed the EMV-acceptance gap with big ones, but they are making progress on installing EMV chip card readers at the point of sale, according to findings from a recent survey for the National Retail Federation.   (Read More)
 
SEPA instant payments threaten card schemes in Europe; Cards International
 
Real time payments are already live in some domestic markets, and from November 2017, SEPA instant payments will be available across Europe. This cross border payments facility comes as a challenge to card schemes, as it represents the creation of a pan-European alternative to cards.    (Read More)
 
Atlanta-based InComm has become the exclusive distributor of American Express U.S. prepaid cards.; Atlanta Business Chronical
 
Amex will remain the card issuer and network for prepaid reloadable and gift card products, while InComm, a prepaid card and transaction services provider, becomes the program manager and processor. InComm also announced that it is acquiring the Serve technology platform and other assets related to the American Express Company (NYSE: AXP) prepaid reloadable and gift card products business. The Serve technology platform expands InComm’s processing capabilities.     (Read More)

Harborside Partners with CanPay to Launch Cashless Delivery Payments; Press Release
 
CanPay, the first legitimate debit payment solution for the cannabis industry, today announced a partnership with Harborside, the leading medical cannabis dispensary in the nation, to provide a cashless payment option for delivery transactions originating from both its Oakland and San Jose locations.     (Read More)
 
Eye on Networks: Mastercard’s Transactions Increase 17%; Pulse’s Pulse Quickens; Digital Transactions
 
Mastercard Inc. reported Thursday that its switched transaction volume grew 17% in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Discover Financial Services’ Pulse debit network saw volume jump 15% after growing slightly in the first quarter following a long period of decline.   (Read More)
 
Card industry mulls payment authentication via smartphones; ITNews
 
Merchants may be able to retire their card terminals over the next few years, and allow customers to enter personal identity numbers (PINs) for payments on their smartphones and tablets instead.    (Read More)

The 50th anniversary of the ATM – The truth about Cash; Payments Cards & Mobile
 
The 27 June, 2017 marks 50 years since the inauguration of the world’s first cash dispenser in Enfield, London. Automated Teller Machines, more commonly known as ATMs, have since changed the shape of modern banking and how people access their cash.   (Read More)
 
Samsung Pay now supports Discover cards; The Verge
 
Discover card shoppers can finally use their credit card with Samsung Pay on their phones — two years after the credit card company announced that the card would come to the system. A customer service representative for Discover confirmed that customers can now add their cards to Samsung Pay. Samsung unveiled its mobile payment system in 2015, and Discover announced at the time that support for the card would come in early 2016. However, that functionality was delayed until now, prompting some complaints from users.  (Read More)
 
FLEETCOR Migrates Comdata Business to IBM Cloud; Press Release
 
FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:FLT), a leading global provider of fuel cards and workforce payment solutions, today announced the successful migration of its Comdata business to IBM’s state-of-the-art cloud-based processing environment. The flexibility and advanced capabilities of this new infrastructure will allow FLEETCOR to rapidly accommodate growth while maximizing performance for customers and partners.       (Read More)

Square Will Replace Meters in Washington Taxis; Bloomberg
 
Washington, D.C., is enlisting Square Inc.’s help as its taxi commission tries to help the city’s cabbies compete with Uber drivers. By the end of August, all of the taxis in Washington have to tear out their traditional meters and start using smartphones or tablets, in what the city government has been describing as a complete reimagining of how the cab system works. On Wednesday, the Department of For-Hire Vehicles is announcing that Square will process the payments going through those mobile devices.      (Read More)
 
Grubhub Partners with Point of Sale Leaders to Create Streamlined Restaurant Management Solutions; Press Release
 
Grubhub, the nation's leading takeout marketplace, today announced its integration with industry-leading point of sale (POS) systems, Breadcrumb POS by Upserve and Toast. Restaurants using these systems can now manage all of their orders, both in-house and takeout, from one device. The new integration will also allow restaurants to more efficiently staff, save time on menu updates, consolidate financials and free up space on the crowded delivery tablet counter.       (Read More)
 
WEX Signs Multi Country Long-Term Fuel Card Processing Deal with Chevron; Press Release
 
WEX Card Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX), a leading provider of corporate payment solutions, today announced that it has signed two significant agreements with Chevron International Pte. Ltd.        (Read More)

'Supercard' Startup Plastc Goes Belly Up, Screwing Thousands of Backers; GIZMODO
 
There are dozens of ways to pay for things, but apparently, the world was not ready for one more. Plastic, the company that promised to put all of your credit cards on one chunk of plastic, is officially dead.  (Read More)
 
Mastercard adds fingerprint sensors to payment cards; engadget  
 
Our fingerprints are quickly replacing PINs and passwords as our primary means of unlocking our phones, doors and safes. They're convenient, unique, and ultimately more secure than easily guessed or forged passwords and signatures. So it makes sense that fingerprint sensors are coming to protect our credit and debit cards. Mastercard is testing out new fingerprint sensor-enabled payment cards that, combined with the onboard chips, offer a new, convenient way to authorize your in-person transactions. Instead of signing a paper receipt or entering your PIN while struggling to cover up the number pad, you simply place your thumb on your card to prove your identity.   (Read More)
 
Shopify Announces New Free Card Reader for In-Person Selling; Press Release
 
Shopify, the leading cloud-based, multi-channel commerce platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses, today announced its new free Chip and Swipe card reader for in-person selling. With Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) support, the new Chip and Swipe reader lets any Shopify merchant in the United States sell offline in a fast and secure way. The card reader was launched at Unite, Shopify’s annual partner and developer conference.   (Read More)

Wells Fargo Card Requests Drop by Most Since Scandal Erupted; Bloomberg
 
Wells Fargo & Co. said credit-card applications dropped 55 percent in February from a year earlier, the biggest decline since a scandal involving fake accounts erupted in September.  (Read More)
 
Wells Fargo to add NFC mobile withdrawals to ATMs later this year; NFC World
 
Customers of US bank Wells Fargo will be able to withdraw cash from ATMs using an NFC-based mobile payments service such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay when the bank rolls out an upgrade across the US “later this year”.  (Read More)
 
Industry Veterans Form New Card Company, Fair Square Financial; Press Release
 
A team of former executives and experts from leading credit card issuers announced today the market launch of new consumer credit cards under the brand "Ollo". The newly-formed company, Fair Square Financial Holdings, ("Fair Square Financial" or "the Company"), has received a substantial equity commitment to finance card issuance from Pine Brook, an investment firm focused on building financial services businesses.  (Read More)

Ingenico Readies Its POS App Marketplace for U.S. Merchants And Acquirers; Digital Transactions
 
Point-of-sale terminal maker Ingenico Group is bringing its POS app store based on its Telium Tetra operating system to the United States this year, company officials tell Digital Transactions News.  (Read More)
 
Caring for Smart Chip Cards; The New York Times
 
When I tried to use the smart chip in my credit card at my drugstore’s self-service kiosk, the machine gave me a malfunction error and wouldn’t process the payment. What causes that error and how fragile are these new cards?  (Read More)
 
PayPal buys TIO Networks for $233 million; TechCrunch
 
PayPal has agreed to buy bill payment management company TIO Networks for $233 million in cash. The deal will allow PayPal to gain access to a market of customers who pay their utility and cable bills at kiosks in locations like Rite Aid.  (Read More)
 
Introducing Square for Retail: A New Point-of-Sale App and Complete Set of Tools for Retail Businesses; Press Release
 
As we know from our millions of sellers, retailers — like all businesses — come in different shapes and sizes. Some only need a card reader and a mobile device to run a successful pop-up shop. Others need a full retail point-of-sale solution built to manage thousands of items and multiple employees on top of integrated payments, hardware, and financial and marketing services.  (Read More)

Link ATMs: 8,000 in UK could start charging for withdrawals; The Guardian
 
More than one in seven free-to-use cash machines across the UK could start charging or be shut down if the simmering row about the Link network cannot be resolved, an industry lobby group has warned.  (Read More)
 
ATMIA launches Top 20 Speaking Tips for Speakers at ATMIA’s 2017 Events; Press Release
 
ATMIA today published a presentation called “Top 20 Speaking Tips for ATMIA Events” aimed at providing a professional refresher course for all ATMIA speakers in 2017. The course is available online exclusively to all ATMIA speakers.  (Read More)
 
Citigroup adds credit card scanning feature to mobile app; Cards International
 
American banking major Citigroup has incorporated credit card scanning functionality into its Citi Mobile App. The new ability will allow US Citi credit cardholders to scan their cards using their mobile device’s in-built camera when activating in the mobile app after which the card account number will populate within the registration.  (Read More)
 
London fintech startup pairs mobile wallet with MasterCard powered Curve Card; TechCrunch
 
 The mobile wallet lets you sync your debit and credit cards into a single app and to the accompanying Curve card powered by MasterCard. You then simply select which card you want the Curve cards to act as a conduit for any payments you make offline or online, meaning you only need to carry a single physical card with you.  (Read More)

Brazil to Crack Down on 476% Annual Credit Card Rates, Again; Bloomberg
 
Triple-digit credit card interest rates are enough to ensure many consumers keep their wallets in their pockets, even at this time of year.
But now the government of President Michel Temer has signaled that it wants to tackle the staggeringly large spread between Brazil’s benchmark Selic rate - currently 13.75 percent - and the average annual interest on credit cards, which is somewhere north of 450 percent.       (Read More)
 
Walmart leverages its MoneyCard app to help customers save; Mobile Commerce Daily
 
Retail giant Walmart is partnering with Green Dot to debut a new prize-based savings incentive program run through the former’s MoneyCard service.       (Read More)

InComm to Launch PlayStation™Network Prepaid Products into Indonesia 7-Eleven Stores;  Press Release
 
InComm, a leading prepaid product and transaction services company, announced that, together with MOL Global, Inc., the two companies are launching PlayStation™Network prepaid products to be distributed through 7-Eleven stores in Indonesia. MOL Global is a leading e-payment enabler for online goods and services in emerging and developed markets.       (Read More)

Winners and Losers From India's Cash Ban; Bloomberg
 
While India's war on cash may have hurt some, there have been at least two winners - Visa and MasterCard. Analysts predict that the world's largest payment networks will see a surge in transactions. Bloomberg's Harsha Subramaniam reports on "Bloomberg Markets."  (Read More)
 
Visa Chip Card Update; Press Release
 
Of the 388.8M Visa chip cards circulating in the U.S., 180.6M are credit cards and 208.3M are debit cards. More than 1.7M merchants are now accepting chip cards, a 191% increase in the last year.   (Read More)
 
Visa’s EMV Debit Routing Practices Attract the Attention of the FTC And the Fed;  Digital Transactions
 
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Visa Inc.’s practices involving EMV debit card transaction routing, Visa disclosed Tuesday. And the Federal Reserve earlier this month posted guidance about EMV debit routing that, according to retailer trade groups, was issued in response to their objections to Visa’s practices at the point of sale.  (Read More)

Visa Direct Expands Its Reach With Real-Time, Card-Based P2P and Funds Disbursements Services; Press Release
 
Visa (NYSE:V) announced that Visa Direct continues to gain momentum as a faster payments solution through key partnerships with FIS and Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ: JKHY) for person-to-person (P2P) payments, and Stripe, Hyperwallet and Ingo Money for faster business and government disbursements.      (Read More)
 
Supporting New Mastercard 2-series BINs; Braintree
 
Mastercard is introducing a new 2-series to their Bank Identification Numbers (BINs). A BIN refers to the first 6 digits of a credit card number and can be used to identify the card issuing institution. Up until now, Mastercard BINs have only been in the 5-series range, which begin with a 5.      (Read More)
 
Fifth Third Bank Launches Comprehensive Electronic Card Payables Solution for Commercial Clients; Press Releaase
 
As a leader in commercial payments, Fifth Third Bank (NASDAQ: FITB) has launched Fifth Third ePay, an upgraded electronic accounts payable (EAP) solution for commercial card clients using virtual card numbers for payment. Fifth Third ePay enables clients to take advantage of electronic accounts payables and meets evolving client needs. Fifth Third ePay provides clients with multiple options for supplier payments, visibility into account and payment status, and program controls for fraud and risk mitigation.      (Read More)

This Beautiful Copper Coin Could Transform How We Spend Money; fastcodesign.com
 
It hurts to spend cash. Literally. And in a way, that’s a good thing. Because we’re living in a time where most people have less than $1,000 in their bank accounts, and almost $5,000 in credit card debt. Yet it’s unfair to simply blame the middle class’s financial woes on some lack of self-control, because in the age of smartphone payments, Amazon's Subscribe & Save, and good old credit card swipes, who earnestly considers their monthly budget every time they buy a coffee?       (Read More)
 
Mastercard Teams Up with Stripe to Make Getting Paid Faster and Easier in Today’s Shareconomy; Press Release
 
Mastercard and Stripe announced that Mastercard Send is speeding payments for U.S. sellers on Stripe marketplaces using the instant payouts feature from Stripe. Getting paid as a caregiver, dog walker or hairstylist just became a lot faster and more convenient. Mastercard Send is a first-of-its-kind service that enables people and businesses to send and receive funds quickly and securely.       (Read More)

New York Fed: Credit-Card Use Increasing Among People with Low Credit Scores; The Wall Street Journal
 
The credit card is coming back, even among people with the lowest credit scores. In the second quarter, total household debt increased by $35 billion to $12.3 trillion, according to the New York Fed’s latest quarterly report on household debt. That increase was driven by two categories: auto loans and credit cards.    (Read More)
 
No cash allowed: Stores refusing to accept money; Boston Globe
 
At Amsterdam Falafelshop in Kenmore Square, you can choose hummus or tahini for your $7 sandwich. And you can pick from a dozen toppings, from pickled cauliflower to fresh feta and olives. What you can’t do is pay with cash.  (Read More)
 
US Payments Forum Publishes Update to Payment Networks Minimum Requirements for US EMV Chip Deployment; Press Release
 
As U.S. issuers, merchants, acquirers and processors continue their migrations to EMV chip technology for more secure payments, many stakeholders may ask: “What is the least complex way to deploy chip for my organization?” To help merchants and acquirers develop their strategies for implementation, payment network members of the U.S. Payments Forum (formerly the EMV Migration Forum) have updated the guide outlining their minimum requirements for chip deployment, including changes to incorporate requirements for the recently announced faster EMV solutions from American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.  (Read More)

FIS and Payment Alliance International Bring Cardless Cash to Consumers at Retail Locations Nationwide; Press Release
 
FIS Cardless Cash®, the market-leading mobile solution that avoids using a plastic card at the ATM to withdraw funds, will expand across the United States thanks to a new partnership between FIS™ (NYSE:FIS), a global leader in financial services technology, and Payment Alliance International (PAI), the nation’s largest, privately-held provider of ATM processing and maintenance services, ATM equipment sales and support. (Read More)
 
Mobile money giant M-Pesa is getting its own debit card to compete with banks; QUARTZ
 
Safaricom, parent of the M-Pesa mobile money platform, is eying a piece of the $13.5 billion in annual transactions in Kenya’s payment cards industry with a new debit card. In its pilot stage, the new card, which is largely expected to challenge commercial banks for card commissions, is linked to its Lipa na M-Pesa (pay with M-Pesa) service, which enables traders and individuals to settle bills at different points of sale across the country.   (Read More)
 
UBA and Mastercard Announce Pan African Partnership; payments afrika
 
United Bank Africa (UBA) and Mastercard have announced a partnership which will see UBA act as the issuer for MasterCard in 18 new markets in Africa. The partnership which came into effect in the second quarter of 2016 will see UBA issue Mastercard credit, debit and prepaid cards across these markets.   (Read More)
 
The Experience Matters: 3 Takeaways From Consumer Card Spending Featured; Retail TouchPoints
 
It’s been no secret that traditional retailers have had a difficult time in 2016, as consumers opt to spend where they can do more than just buy physical products. They want experiences.  (Read More)

Switch to Visa Cards Should Save Costco Millions, Analysts Say; TheStreet
 
Costco Wholesale will switch to Visa credit cards, marking the end of its 17-year alliance with American Express (AXP). This means American Express cards will no longer be accepted at Costco.   (Read More)
 
Wells Fargo’s new credit card comes with mobile-enabled tracking; Mobile Commerce Daily
 
Wells Fargo has launched a new Visa credit card that focuses on cash rewards and includes a mobile-enabled online banking feature for on-the-go account management, driving purchases and credit card use.   (Read More)
 
Florida bank issues first US credit card for use in Cuba; AP
 
A small Florida bank will issue the first U.S. credit card intended for use in Cuba and make it easier for Americans to travel and work on an island largely cut off from the U.S. financial system, the bank announced Tuesday.    (Read More)

VocaLink signs deal with UnionPay International; Press Release
 
VocaLink, the international payment systems provider, today announces a five year deal with UnionPay International, which will enable UnionPay cardholders to access ATMs in the UK and continental Europe. UnionPay is one of the world’s largest bankcard schemes, with over 5.4 billion cards issued.  (Read More)
 
UnionPay International’s promotion of overseas card issuance welcomed by inbound tourists; Press Release
 
With UnionPay’s rapid expansion overseas, and especially the progress of its localization strategy, UnionPay cards are frequently used by an increasing number of overseas cardholders. By the end of the first quarter of this year, the transaction volume of overseas-issued UnionPay cards accounted for about half of UnionPay’s total international business; this figure by the end of 2013 was only 27%. The transaction number of overseas-issued UnionPay cards in the Chinese mainland increased by over 30% year on year.  (Read More)
 
Consumers Struggle When Using EMV Cards for the First Time; eMarketer
 
Adoption of EMV cards, a global standard for credit and debit card payments sometimes referred to as chip-and-PIN, has a ways to go. March 2016 research found that consumers are still struggling when using these cards for the first time.   (Read More)

Facebook Could Blow Up Credit Cards and Make Loans to Billions; Newsweek
 
Facebook seems ready to radically reimagine credit cards—minus the “card” part, of course. It’s already a foregone conclusion that by next decade carrying a plastic card to buy stuff will be as anachronistic as hauling around a boom box to listen to music.     (Read More)
 
No purchase is too tiny for today’s debit-card users — right, millennials? The Seattle Times
 
Do you roll your eyes in the checkout line when someone pulls out a card to pay for a candy bar or pack of gum? Get used to the feeling.     (Read More)
 
Chip Cards Cause Headaches at Stores Across America; Bloomberg
 
A majority of credit cards in the U.S. now contain a chip designed to add more security -- yet most payment terminals at retailers can’t read the new technology. And the situation isn’t going to improve anytime soon.    (Read More)
 
Episode 695: Put A Chip On It; Planet Money
 
Credit cards and debit cards have tons of safety features. The extra security code on the back. Sometimes your picture. Your signature. That little hologram of a bird that nobody looks at.  (Read More)

Wells Fargo Introduces Go FarTM Rewards; Press Release
 
Wells Fargo & Company announced Go FarTM Rewards, its enhanced credit card rewards program available to all customers with a rewards-based credit card from Wells Fargo. Through the program, customers can redeem their rewards at any Wells Fargo ATM, use rewards toward their qualifying Wells Fargo checking or savings account or apply toward the principal balance of a qualifying Wells Fargo line or loan.    (Read More)
 
Poll: Pay with cash or card for $5 purchase? CreditCards.com
 
Whether it’s picking up a cup of coffee on the way to work or a magazine at the airport, more consumers are using their cards instead of cash to pay for small transactions, according to a new CreditCards.com survey.  (Read More)
 
Chip-Card Payment System Delays Frustrate Retailers; The New York Times
 
Avi Kaner, a co-owner of the Morton Williams supermarket chain in New York, has spent about $700,000 to update the payment terminals at his stores. Trouble is, he cannot turn them on.     (Read More)

Coming Soon To The Person In Line, In Front Of You: The Horror Of The EMV User Experience Fail; medium.com 
 
On October 1st, 2015 a quite unnoticeable line will have been crossed for payment acceptance in the US, a mandate from Visa, MasterCard American Express and Discover will begin to take effect at every retail merchant that accepts payment cards.  (Read More)
 
Using your chip card at some stores and not at others? Here’s why; The Washington Post
 
If you’re like many shoppers, you’ve had a momentary blip of confusion — or maybe several of them — at a checkout counter lately. That’s because some stores have outfitted themselves with payment terminals that use your credit card’s new, more secure chip technology. Some stores haven’t. And at still more retailers, you can see they have the chip readers installed, but they don’t want you to use them yet. The result? You’re having an internal “to swipe or to dip?” debate every time you go shopping.  (Read More)
 
UnionPay transactions surge in Spring Festival spree; Xinhuanet
 
China UnionPay transactions soared to yet another record high in the Spring Festival, the operator revealed Sunday.    (Read More)

Cash still king for many consumers; Chain Store Age
 
That’s according to a survey of over 1,000 consumers by Cardtronics. It shows that in spite of people having access to and using a greater variety of payment methods, cash remains widely used and frequently selected for making all sorts of payments.   (Read More)
 
Battle Between Signature & PIN Rages On; The Members Group
 
There continues to be discussion within the payments industry as to the merits of signature vs. PIN authentication— specifically on EMV credit cards—in an EMV environment. However, the debate misses a crucial point: Recent mass data breaches, arguably the largest threat facing the card industry today, have not been tied to any particular verification method or lack thereof.   (Read More)

AmEx reinstates rule prohibiting merchant steering; MarketWatch
 
After receiving a favorable court ruling last week, American Express Co. is reinstating its longtime policy that prohibits merchants from steering customers to cheaper forms of payment.  (Read More)
 
If you’re not reading this, you may be out buying gift cards; Bangor Daily News
 
The Portland-based digital gift card processor CashStar said its annual survey of online shoppers revealed most gift cards are likely to fly out the door as close to the Christmas holiday as humanly possible.  (Read More)

Visa Inc. to Acquire Visa Europe; Press Release
 
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) and Visa Europe Ltd. today announced a definitive agreement for Visa Inc. to acquire Visa Europe, creating a single global company. The transaction consists of upfront consideration of €16.5 billion with the potential for an additional earn-out of up to €4.7 billion payable following the fourth anniversary of closing, for a total value of up to €21.2 billion. The upfront consideration comprises €11.5 billion of cash and preferred stock convertible into Visa Inc. class A common stock valued at €5 billion.1 Both companies’ boards were unanimous in their support of the transaction. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Visa Inc.’s fiscal third quarter of 2016.    (Read More)
 
Amazon Shutting Down Its ‘Register’ Credit Card Processor; The New York Times
 
Amazon, the online retailing giant, quietly killed its credit card reader service for small and medium-size businesses, a move that seems to scale back the company’s ambitions of going after micromerchant processing services. The credit card reader, called Amazon Register, debuted to much fanfare little more than a year ago.  (Read More)

Interchange Evidence? Credit Slips

Both sides in the interchange fee debate have pointed to a recent Richmond Fed study as evidence supporting their position (here and here). Frankly, it's hard to tell without agreeing on a baseline for analysis: pre-Durbin interchange fees or what the fees would have been but for Durbin or the anticipated post-Durbin drop in fees? (Read More)

Sources: Square to file for IPO in the next two weeks; Fortune

Payments startup Square plans to file an S-1 document for its initial public offering within the next two weeks, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. (Read More)

Shopify Announces New EMV Credit Card Reader That Accepts Chip and Pin, and Apple Pay; Press Release

Shopify Inc. a leading cloud-based multichannel commerce platform, today announced the launch of its new credit card reader that will allow Shopify merchants in the U.S. to securely accept chip and pin, tap, and swipe credit and debit cards as well as contactless payment technologies like Apple Pay. (Read More)  

Visa Checkout Expands Global Availability with New Merchants and Issuers; Press Release

Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) today announced continued global success of Visa Checkout, the online check out service that allows shoppers to pay with their cards online and on any device, with just a few clicks. In recent months, no less than thirty-three new merchants, ranging from Best Buy and Under Armour to Barnes & Noble and Taco Bell, have signed on to offer Visa Checkout.    (Read More)

Green Dot Announces Opening of Wholly-Owned Subsidiary in Shanghai, China; Press Release

Green Dot Corporation (NYSE:GDOT) today announced the official opening of Green Dot Shanghai Software Technology Co. Ltd. “Green Dot Shanghai” is a new wholly-owned subsidiary of Green Dot Corporation that is located in the Zhangjiang Hi Technology Park in the Pudong district of Shanghai. The 24,000 square foot facility will employ Shanghai’s finest technology leaders and engineers with the goal of further increasing Green Dot’s ability to quickly, expertly and efficiently bring cutting-edge technology solutions to Green Dot’s large-scale branchless banking platform in the United States.     (Read More)

Payment Alliance International Offers CardFlight EMV Mobile POS; Press Release

Payment Alliance International (PAI), a leader in electronic payment processing solutions, and CardFlight, a top mobile point of sale (POS) technology provider, today jointly announced they have entered into a partnership agreement for EMV mobile POS (mPOS). PAI will offer CardFlight’s EMV mPOS acceptance solutions to its market partner distribution network and merchant customers nationwide. CardFlight’s flagship SwipeSimple mPOS product will be offered under the name PAImobile® Plus which will be PAI’s preferred mPOS solution for merchants wanting to accept mobile payments and manage their businesses via smartphones and tablets.    (Read More)

The sale of Visa Europe: a potential setback for merchants in the fight against fees; Treasury Insider

With reports that Visa Inc. is in talks to buy its counterpart, Visa Europe, significant changes could be on the cards for Europe’s merchant community.    (Read More)

Worldpay extends global payment acceptance capabilities to India; Press Release

Worldpay, the global leader in payments has partnered with IndusInd Bank Limited to offer domestic acquiring services in India. The association will assist both companies in processing customers’ payments and marks the first step for Worldpay in entering the Indian market – a result of the growth in eCommerce across the country.    (Read More)

High Credit Card Fees Put a Dent in Car Tune-ups for Memorial Day Trips; Press Release 

Memorial Day weekend starts the summertime travel season. According to AAA Travel around 33 million happy vacationers will be driving to their Memorial Day getaways. Millions will be tuning-up the engines, checking oil levels and filling up gas tanks to prepare for the first vacation. Banks and credit card companies will be busy as well, pocketing a big chunk of every auto repair bill paid with a credit or debit card.      (Read More)

China to open bank card clearing market to foreign firms from June; Reuters

China has announced it will open up its market for clearing domestic bank card transactions, a move that should allow foreign players such as Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc direct access to a market valued at $6.84 trillion last year.  (Read More)

Finding the Right Credit Card, No Matter How Much You Travel; The New York Times 

To rack up frequent-flier miles and loyalty points quickly and easily, you need the right credit cards. And now is a terrific time to sign up for one (or more), thanks to increased competition among issuers, resulting in some of the best offers in years.  (Read More)

VISA ReadyLink Users Can Now Add Funds to Their Cards at Walmart; Press Release

InComm, a leading provider of integrated point-of-sale (POS) technology solutions to retailers, announced that they have integrated VISA ReadyLink into Walmart's Rapid Reload network of prepaid card programs. Now Visa reloadable prepaid cardholders can add funds to their general purpose reloadable (GPR) cards at participating Walmart stores and continue to enjoy a cost-effective reload solution that is simple, safe and secure.   (Read More)

WEX to receive Australian MasterCard® Issuing Licence under new regulatory framework; Press Release

WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX), a leading provider of corporate payments solutions, today announced its subsidiary, WEX Finance Inc., has received a MasterCard issuing licence in Australia.   (Read More)

CardLinx Launches Global Forums to Promote Interoperability Collaboration in the Payments and Digital Advertising Industries; Press Release

The CardLinx Association, the leading global organization promoting card-linked interoperability and standards, will launch The 2015 CardLinx Forum Series on February 24 in San Francisco. Executives from payments, mobile advertising, and digital commerce companies will address innovation and collaboration in card-linking—the rapidly growing advertising channel that delivers a reward or discount to a consumer’s payment card for automatic paperless redemption, without any codes or coupons. (Read More)    

THE J.G. WENTWORTH COMPANY™ HAS JOINED FORCES WITH VISA INC. TO ENTER INTO THE PREPAID CATEGORY; Press Release

The J.G. Wentworth Company™ (“J.G. Wentworth” or the “Company”) (NYSE:JGW) announced today that it will enter the prepaid card category and expand the Company’s product offerings to new and existing customers through an agreement with Visa Inc. (Read More)     

Payments Business Will Bypass Banks, Says Adyen Boss;  Wall Street Journal Digits

While tech giants such as Apple Inc., Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. jostle to dominate the digital payments market, a Dutch tech company expects to benefit no matter who wins.  (Read More)

Chip & PIN for Americans: Too Difficult, Or Too Costly?  Association For Financial Prof

Chip-and-PIN technology for credit cards has been used in most of the developed world for over a decade. In Europe, Canada and Australia, chip-and-PIN is the standard. The United States, however, has lagged behind in this department, opting only to require PIN with debit cards (and even that is optional). (Read More)

Challenged by Upstarts, Lenders Try New Strategy: Cooperation; DealBook

Employees at MasterCard thought they saw a drop-off in credit card volume last spring at one of their merchants, a legal services provider. Checking further, they found they had a new competitor, Behalf, a start-up small-business lender backed by two venture capital firms that makes credit decisions in just a few seconds. (Read More

POS Software Trend Report 2015; Hospitality Technology

Each year, Hospitality Technology puts a spotlight on point-of-sale technology to find out what’s trending in POS for the year ahead. (Read More)

EMV Chip Technology Is the Future of U.S. Payments: Get the Facts in New EMV Migration Forum Infographic; Yahoo Finance

The new year will bring a new way to pay in-store for many U.S. consumers, with 600 millioni new EMV chip cards expected to reach their wallets and increasing acceptance of the cards at retail stores. The EMV Migration Forum explains what you need to know about the changes that are coming with this secure payment technology in the new infographic "EMV Chip Cards: The Future of Payments." (Read More)   

Developers Can Now Use Google’s Cloud Platform To Handle Credit Card Information; TechCrunch

Google today announced that its Cloud Platform is now in compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards (DSS). This means developers can now hold, process and exchange credit card information from branded credit cards on Google’s cloud computing platform without running afoul of existing regulations. (Read More)

Preparing for Chip-and-PIN Cards in the United States; The New York Times

On a recent morning, eager shoppers swarmed around Covent Garden, a 350-year-old former open-air vegetable market in central London whose glass-fronted stores now include popular American companies like Apple and Shake Shack. (Read More)

MasterCard Seeks 'Level Playing Field' for Bitcoin Regulation; CoinDesk

MasterCard has spoken out against bitcoin's perceived risks and called for regulators to create a "level playing field" for payments systems. (Read More) 

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