David Heun

Apple's Near Field Communication-based wallet was not universally welcomed by banks and merchants, but the in-app Apple Pay system is steadily gaining momentum as more retailers see it as a way to latch onto Apple's cachet without overhauling their point of sale.

Fime has updated a validation tool with Barnes International for issuers to test Visa's cloud-based Host Card Emulation processes and payment tokens for contactless payments.

It's become apparent that more organizations are attaining PCI compliance, but far fewer can stay in compliance for a reasonable period of time.

Like a Hollywood star making the rounds before a premier movie date, Visa and other organizations are going on tour to promote EMV-chip card technology ahead of the October deadline set for U.S. companies.

It's not always fun to be the butt of a joke, but in the financial services industry, it's often unavoidable. Some companies are embracing this role to turn the mockery into marketing.

Intuit Inc. has dipped its toe in the payments pond often, and now the business software provider wants to make a bigger splash by enticing more merchants to use QuickBooks Online.

The merchant acquiring industry faces continuing pressure from shrinking margins and disruptive competitors, but it has used the past five challenging years to seek out a position of strength.

Square has boosted its technology capabilities while expanding its presence in Canada through the acquisition of Toronto-based Kili Technology Corp.

A false sense of security still emanates from 70% of information technology teams that feel they are safe from cyberattacks, despite evidence that data breaches are a growing and ongoing threat.

For the past two years, acquirers and processors have taken aim at the lengthy EMV chip-card certification process as a major stumbling block for U.S. merchants preparing to upgrade from magnetic stripe technology in time to avoid a shift in fraud liability.

PayPal is creating a new cyber-security center in Tel Aviv as part of its acquisition of Israeli security vendor CyActive.

Seeking a uniform process for card-not-present transactions in the Single Euro Payments Area throughout Europe, the European Payments Council has created a blueprint for an interoperable card and terminal infrastructure.

The European Parliament on March 9 voted in favor of capping interchange fees for domestic and cross-border transactions, a move that many European banks anticipated.

It is fitting that Apple CEO Tim Cook opened the Apple Watch presentation by showing off a Mickey Mouse watch face. The Apple Watch shares a lot more than its design sense with Disney's successful MagicBand wearables.

"We can start by changing the conversation. It's not about the latest gadget or shiny object, instead it's about the impact this technology is having on consumers and businesses."

"Today, payments companies are all around us.Retailers have come together to create a mobile payments company … and regional debit networks are expanding capabilities to support a wider variety of transactions to attempt to compete with traditional credit networks."

"We often believe in our ability to excel and succeed in senior leadership positions, but without the action to break through this barrier."

"The emphasis currently on mobile technology is around security and how it changes the in-store, and now, online, shopping experience. It is impacting everything from how a card member finds the best price to how they are paying for the purchase at the point of sale."

"An industry that some may have considered to be synonymous with conservative, slow-moving tactics is embracing the innovations of the digital age."

Merchants are far from helpless bystanders as Apple and banks sort out who is responsible for stopping fraudulent cards from being enrolled in the Apple Pay mobile wallet.