Evan Schuman

The most striking thing about Apple Pay's recent loyalty announcement is that it included no loyalty program for Apple Pay.

The nature of fraud in the U.S. is about to change radically, as fraudsters adapt to EMV security at the point of sale by shifting their attention to e-commerce channels. Accompanying this shift are changes to the consumer's role in spotting fraud — but this could be as much a burden as it is a benefit if banks and merchants are not careful.

As Apple Pay grows, the security of Apple's mobile devices becomes more critical. With fingerprint identification built into every new iPhone built since 2013, why is Apple now strengthening its rules for PIN authentication?

Square's partnership with Apple to enable small merchants to accept Apple Pay is just one blip in Apple's overall strategy, but for Square it's a fundamental rethinking of its approach to its audience.

Apple Pay's launch was seen as so bank-focused that some retailers griped or outright rebelled against the Apple mobile wallet. But today, Apple made a major peace offering to the merchant community — and it's working with Square to make that happen.

IHL, which tracks retail payment trends, has slammed EMV in a recent report, calling it "a colossal waste of time, effort and capital to the retail industry."

There have been various media reports about some of the security shortcomings within Apple Pay. The shortcomings are not security holes per se, in the sense that a hole is generally unintended. No, the security issues were deliberate, done with the goal of making signups and initial usage as easy as possible for shoppers.

As cards include more embedded technology, issuers and manufacturers face the tough question of how much card power to sacrifice for stronger fraud protection.

Traditional assumptions about how demographic groups adopt digital channels are fading as comfort with new technology becomes common, according to new research from payment processor Total System Services (TSYS).

Payments security researchers today find themselves in an awkward position and it's retailers who have put them there.