Mastercard

Established as a transit-fare and small-value payment card in Hong Kong nearly 20 years ago, the Octopus Card is making a transition to a virtual prepaid card for online shopping.

Working with technology developer Next Retail Concepts, Mastercard has connected to a virtual version of Los Angeles boutique retailer Fred Segal, where users may virtually pick merchandise on the shelves of the iconic store in West Hollywood, explore it from various angles, and make purchases with a discount for using Mastercard.

As the U.S. plays catch-up in contactless card adoption and biometric cards gain momentum, Mastercard senses an opportunity in the convergence.

Vocalink, a Mastercard company, signed a contract with Peru’s automated clearinghouse, Cámara de Compensación Electrónica, to modernize the country’s payment infrastructure, including support for real-time payments at all times.

Mastercard and white label payment software company Cardstream are partnering to accelerate the deployment of Mastercard’s Secure Remote Commerce (SRC)-ready Masterpass wallet and its “Pay by Bank” solution.

Consumers are stuck using outdated or easily compromised means of proving their identities in a world where banks and retailers need something better. Mastercard and Microsoft are teaming up to take on this monumental challenge.

Quicken and U.S. Bank are launching a co-branded contactless credit card that will integrate with Quicken's personal finance software and mobile app.

The card is being launched in partnership with U.S. Bancorp, which will handle the underwriting and provide the credit.

The Australian government is evaluating a set of proposals to radically reform its payments industry, including abolishing interchange and opening up access for new entrants to core infrastructure.

Visa Inc., American Express Co. and Mastercard Inc. are among firms being investigated by Brazilian regulators over some rules governing use of payment networks.