David Heun

With another iPhone announcement expected in the next month, a recent Apple patent application for digital content gifting could provide insight into how Apple would develop Near Field Communication technology for payments.

Microsoft Corp. is joining Eurosmart, a Brussels, Belgium-based association that develops security standards for smart cards, terminals and other electronic applications.

The European Commission says the phone company and banks involved in a mobile commerce joint venture in Spain can move forward because they are not violating anti-competition rules.

With its latest proposal, the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council aims to make card data security more straightforward for merchants and organizations accepting payments.

Travelex Currency Services has joined with MasterCard to offer U.S.-based travelers a prepaid card that handles currency conversion and uses EMV-chip security.

Chase Paymentech now offers a mobile checkout application and card reader as part of its Chase Checkout point of sale technology for small businesses.

As many as 30% of merchants bailed out on their Payment Card Industry data security test because they didn't have time or didn't understand it, ControlScan says. The vendor aims to improve the process by suppressing irrelevant questions and putting the easiest questions first.

Chase Card Services says it will stick with the Isis mobile wallet venture as it prepares for a national rollout after nearly 10 months of testing. In doing so, the JPMorgan Chase unit also gives its endorsement to Isis' model of using Near Field Communication for contactless payments.

ID Analytics Inc. wants to make sure banks know when a fraudster has taken over an account and is trying to go wild with card payments or money transfers.

Blackbaud has added mobile payment capabilities intended for nonprofit and educational organizations to use at fundraising events.

MasterCard Inc. has launched its first debit card in Latin America for high-income customers.

ATM operators have a lot at stake in the fallout of a federal judge's ruling last week that the Federal Reserve Board needs to review the debit fee caps and network routing mandates set under the Durbin amendment.

To facilitate the launch of a mobile wallet unveiled in February at the Mobile World Congress 2013 event, a major bank and a telecommunications company in Norway have formed a joint venture.

As mobile wallets expand their services, they more closely resemble full-fledged bank accounts. And PreCash Inc. says it can do at least one job better than banks do today.

Cabela's Inc. employees are using Sage Mobile Payment card readers to accept payments at the company's bank-sponsored outdoor sales events this summer.

Mercury Payment Systems LLC now offers software tools for application developers to use to enroll merchants online for Mercury's payment processing and card services.

Even if the Federal Reserve Board does not backtrack sharply on its debit-fee cap as a result of last week's court ruling, the legal battle has created fresh uncertainty that may have some U.S. issuers questioning their long-term strategy.

Apple Inc.'s acquisition of a small semiconductor company has given fresh credibility to rumors that the technology giant is planning a 'smart watch' that could perform contactless payments.

London-based Zapp has hired a former Barclays executive experienced in mobile payments to help prepare for its first product launch in early 2014.

Despite the warnings, cell phones are safe to use at gas pumps — and ExxonMobil Corp. aims to prove this in testing a mobile payment app for smartphone users in Nashville, Tenn.