John Adams

Vending machines were among the first categories to accept contactless mobile payments, but they still rely heavily on cash for impulse snack purchases — at least for now.

There have been many reports of bitcoin's demise, but the fate of one currency doesn't eliminate the many use cases that virtual currency could still address in payments, according to Evan Duffield, a Phoenix-based developer and founder of the virtual currency Dash.

Starbucks' new order ahead mobile feature is off to a fast start, handling more than six million transactions per month only three months after the feature's launch.

Telcos, banks and technology companies have all taken their shots at mobile wallets, but as mobile commerce matures, the niche players are reaping the biggest rewards, according to Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer.

More companies are using installment payments to lure consumers away from credit cards, and MasterCard is testing a model that could lure them back.

Union Bank & Trust Co. in Nebraska was an early supporter of Apple Pay. With that platform sputtering, the bank is now looking at additional ways to stay ahead of the mobile-wallet curve.

Verifone plans to acquire payment technology and switching solutions provider AJB Software, a move that would allow the point of sale hardware maker to offer more services to its acquiring partners as merchants deploy EMV security and mobile wallet acceptance.

Apple Pay's international expansion has been slow enough that other mobile wallet providers are working to get out in front in markets such as Latin America.

Apple Pay made a big splash when it arrived in late 2014, but has made few ripples since then, as consumers stuck to their old payment habits and banks in international markets proved reluctant to provide their support.

"Omnichannel" is an increasingly common term in the payments technology industry, but it means different things to different people.