David Heun

2012 was not the kindest of years to Google's mobile wallet, starting as it did with a security breach and ending with speculation that the a plastic card will be added to the otherwise entirely digital wallet.

If the timing were ever perfect for combining mobile payments or virtual gifting and a drink at a bar, the holidays and New Year's Eve in particular would be it.

McDonald's is adding more tap-and-go acceptance at its payment terminals worldwide.

Google’s mobile wallet appears to be staggering to the finish line of 2012. After all, it was a year that started with a reported security breach and is ending with speculation that the search-engine giant will add a plastic card to the otherwise entirely digital wallet.

For a company that has manufactured point-of-sale terminals in the UK since 1989, Thyron Systems Ltd. admits it has done so in a fairly quiet manner.

Marqeta is taking its rewards prepaid card and wrapping it around a program to encourage consumers to spend at restaurants in their hometown.

As consumers continue to embrace mobile banking and payments technology, banks and credit unions have to establish their place in that ecosystem as a partner willing to guide customers through the mobile commerce process.

It is not likely manufacturers and owners of ATMs will experience a more interesting – or challenging – year than 2012 any time soon.

The popularity of the Square payment-card reader has sparked a new market for accessories — smaller versions of the cases and sleeves people commonly buy for the iPhones which Square readers attach to.

American Express continues its move into a payments arena not often associated with the affluent customers served through the New York-based card network. It now accepts Amex card payments at gas stations commonly located in parking lots near Walmart stores.

The many empty storefronts resulting from the struggling U.S. economy could be repurposed to play a prominent role in the future of mobile payments. If this happens, the practice would follow an example being set by a test in the UK involving online shopping giant Shop Direct.

Right on the heels of providing technology for the Dunkin’ Donuts mobile payment app, CorFire has bolstered its mobile commerce offerings through a partnership with PayPal Inc.

ControlScan will partner with London-based Foregenix to expand its payment data security compliance services into Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

An EMV Migration Forum committee studying the complex details surrounding the conversion of PIN debit networks to handle EMV chip-card payments in the U.S. has "the highest level of urgency" of any of the forum's study groups.

It's been just three months since Apple debuted its latest iPhone, and already there are fresh predictions about what the next model will do and what it will mean for payments.

Intuit's 2012 New Year resolution for its GoPayment card reader was to take it around the world. It did so in bookend fashion.

Like many New Year's resolutions, this one got off to a great start and then languished. Intuit started the year by offering its GoPayment reader in Canada. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company's next significant international expansion was last week's push into the UK market with a pilot program called Intuit Pay.

If large retailers felt a need to create their own mobile commerce brand through the Merchant Customer Exchange to lessen customer confusion and control transaction data, then smaller retailers must also feel overwhelmed with all of the mobile payment and commerce choices available.Starting Dec. 10, San Francisco-based CardFree hopes to address that problem as a new company helping merchants develop their own custom-branded mobile commerce tools.

More than half of consumers in seven technology-advanced countries say they are interested in mobile payments. But the U.S. doesn’t crack the list of the top four countries in which residents say they’d consider replacing their plastic payment cards with mobile phones.

Barcelona residents not yet conducting tap-and-go payments at merchant point of sale may soon find it easier to do so using their mobile phones.La Caixa continued its push to make contactless payments the accepted norm in Barcelona, announcing plans to issue up to 200,000 Tap Visa stickers that consumers can attach to the backs of their mobile phones.

The National ATM Council, a trade association that represents independent ATM providers across the U.S., has joined the forum created by the Smart Card Alliance to discuss and encourage payments industry collaboration in preparation for the country’s switch to EMV chip-card technology.