David Heun

Whether or not retailers are properly guarding their payment hardware and their in-store networks, a bigger issue might just be the workers who have access to retail organizations' data — including both regular staff and temporary holiday workers.

The spread of new payment technology and omnichannel commerce are changing the way people shop during the holiday season, even in brick-and-mortar stores. Here are a few noteworthy trends this season.

Few of Apple's numerous patent applications make it to market, but if the consumer electronics giant follows through on one filed last week, iPhone users may have the Siri virtual assistant helping them with person-to-person payments through the iMessage platform.

Visa Inc. has clarified its position on EMV debit card routing to address growing concern among merchants that the card brand's rules were forcing those transactions onto the Visa network rather than allowing merchants to choose among less expensive options.

Mobile apps that allow consumers to control their payment cards are becoming more popular as banks use payment security as a way to build customer relationships.

The app will be available at 7,500 Starbucks locations in the U.S. and 1,400 Best Buy locations, and is part of a much broader rollout that's expected to last into early next year.

The app is based on a Masabi’s ticketing platform used by agencies and operators such as London’s Thames Clippers, Preston Bus, New Orleans’ RTA, Boston’s MBTA, Transport for Athens, Los Angeles’ Metrolink and New York’s MTA.

Typically merchants post signs at EMV terminals to tell their customers how they work, or that they should keep swiping. Starbucks is taking a more forward-thinking approach by treating EMV frustration as a mobile marketing opportunity.

India's abrupt recall of its larger bills — a bid to crack down on tax evasion — was a crash course in how to adapt to a cash shortage. Was this an opportunity for mobile payments or a failing of the overall financial services system?

Google has launched Android Pay in Poland, nearly six months after the mobile wallet made its debut in the U.K. and Australia.

Mastercard has launched its quick-response mobile payments system in India through its Masterpass mobile wallet, designed to help mobile banking users complete purchases through their mobile phones at the physical point of sale.

Zopa is moving away from its longtime status of being a non-bank to apply for a banking license through the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority.

Merchants may have gained an edge in their dispute with Visa over how EMV debit transaction routing is handled at the point of sale.

If a consumer is willing to shop online through a mobile device while sitting on the toilet, retailers need to be in the bathroom with that shopper during the holiday season. At least, PayPal sees it that way.

If a consumer is willing to shop online through a mobile device while sitting on the toilet, retailers need to be in the bathroom with that shopper during the holiday season. At least, PayPal sees it that way.

Banking and payments technology provider linked2pay has added the real-time payments platform from Push Payments to its services for bank clients.

Digital payments security provider V-Key will protect the cloud-based payments network of Ant Financial Services Group (Alipay) with its virtual secure element software.

Payments technology plays a major role in web connected city projects globally.

On Dec. 7, Dwolla will drop its consumer-facing applications like its mobile app and Dwolla.com

Platforms designed for face-to-face or paper transactions may not be the best enabler of payments through connected devices, but a system born out of the digital payments world could fare better.