David Heun

Though Amazon.com's Fire Phone sputtered out as soon as it launched, the company has built a solid foundation in mobile payments that will fuel its next big moves in 2015.

Sellers using e-commerce marketplace Atomic Mail can now add Dwolla as a payment option on the checkout pages of their websites.

Mobile operators in Taiwan now support the nation's largest mobile commerce platform, which enables Near Field Communication mobile payments.

Brazil's central bank has approved a joint venture between Banco do Brasil SA, the nation's largest bank by assets, and card payment processor Cielo SA, but the bank cannot claim accounting gains in its projected profits.

To say the Softcard mobile wallet had an interesting year would be an understatement. By the end of 2014, it had a new name and a new competitor: the formidable Apple Pay.

Customers give slightly higher marks to retail banks for their overall customer service than they do to credit card issuers, even if the credit card service is a division of the same bank, according to a recent survey of credit and debit cardholders.

Square is committed to its diversification strategy, furthering its transformation from a simple mobile point of sale provider to a company that also handles small-business loans, marketing and e-commerce.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., will accept Apple Pay as a companion to its own contactless payment cards and wristbands.

Banks are still throwing support behind Apple Pay – 10 more banks signed up for the service in mid-December. Yet many say they're keeping their mobile wallet options open.

Capital One plans to take advantage of two major marketing initiatives — its support of Apple Pay and sponsorship of the Orange Bowl – to give its bank-branded mobile wallet a boost.

As new technology such as Apple Pay spark fresh interest in using smartphones for payments, many card issuers are striving to make the most of this enthusiasm. But for banks, the end goal isn't the point of sale.

The City of New York intends to develop mobile payment options for those paying fines for parking violations.

Chevron Oil Co. is planning to support Apple Pay at its gas pumps in early 2015, despite longstanding fears among consumers that using a cell phone while fueling is a fire hazard.

Apple Pay's October debut was arguably the biggest story in mobile payments in 2014. But it's only the prologue of a larger conflict set to heat up in the year ahead.

CheckAlt has added electronic check payments as an option for consumers purchasing gift cards through CardCash.com.

Square is committed to its diversification strategy, furthering its transformation from a simple mobile point of sale provider to a company that also handles small-business loans, marketing and e-commerce.

Like many large retailers fighting the card networks over interchange fees, Google Inc. opted out of a $5.7 billion settlement in the 2013 class-action lawsuit against Visa and MasterCard.

Square is committed to its diversification strategy, furthering its transformation from a simple mobile point of sale provider to a company that also handles small-business loans, marketing and e-commerce.

In its first year of heavy involvement in testing and certifying payment security technology, scientists at Underwriters Laboratories have determined that tokenization should be a significant piece of a strong security "triangle."

A technology called "host card emulation" made a big splash when it became part of the Android operating system in late 2013, but 2014 marked the year in which the tech became a foundation for future mobile wallet development.