John Adams

Verifone, which is challenged to move beyond its reliance on selling traditional payments hardware, is producing an almost dizzying array of products in hopes of diversifying.

The pressure on merchant acquirers to enable transactions in more channels for more merchant types is accelerating, and TSYS is turning to the M&A market to accelerate its digital diversification, announcing an agreement with Vista Equity Partners to acquire Vista portfolio company TransFirst for $2.35 billion in cash.

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.

Walmart plans to support Visa Checkout despite a rocky relationship between the two giant companies whose recent disputes have often involved legal action.

There is a lingering fear that enabling real-time transfers between consumer bank accounts will open a window for fraud that cannot be closed. But as demand for real-time payments grows, two consortiums led by large banks hope to address the banking industry's fraud concerns by developing an interoperable identity shield.

Digital and alternative currencies are often cast as libertarian-friendly payment vehicles whose very mission engenders government antagonism. But in Canada, things are a bit friendlier.

There is a lingering fear that enabling real-time transfers between consumer bank accounts will open a window for fraud that cannot be closed. But as the demand for real-time payments grows, two large bank-led consortia hope to address the banking industry's fraud concerns by developing an interoperable identity shield.

There is a lingering fear that enabling real-time transfers between consumer bank accounts will open a window for fraud that cannot be closed. But as the demand for real-time payments grows, two large bank-led consortia hope to address the banking industry's fraud concerns by developing an interoperable identity shield.

Payment cards aren't dead, but they are buried under a growing pile of new and high-tech payment devices.

FuturePay hopes its alternative credit model can shake up in-store payments as the company plots to go beyond its e-commerce roots.

Mobile technology companies love baking purchase capabilities into websites and mobile apps, providing myriad choices that make securing merchant buy-in the next big play. But there is a question of whether the rapid growth of in-app purchase may be "too much."