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Credit unions across the nation are moving up their EMV conversion timelines, considering more class action lawsuits against Target Corp. and calling on Congress to create rules requiring greater payment data security from retailers.

Neiman Marcus Group Ltd. said Jan. 10 that some unauthorized purchases may have been made with customer cards, the second retailer after Target Corp. to be struck by hackers during the important holiday season.

SmartMetric Inc. is launching a Bitcoin card protected with biometric fingerprint authentication. The card can be used as offline storage for bitcoins, but in the future it might also be used for payment.

MasterCard's recent commitment to its U.S. EMV-chip card migration timeline is only one piece of the puzzle. Now, all eyes are on Visa to see if it will support or counter its rival's move.

Target Corp., the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, cut its U.S. unit’s fourth-quarter forecast and said the recent security breach affected more people and more information than previously thought was taken.

PulseWallet, a biometrics payments provider, is again touting its payment and authentication device, but it must overcome a sudden emergence of competitors that is also trying to breathe life into an idea that has had spotty success in the market.

JPMorgan Chase is seeking a buyer for its corporate payroll, tax refund and health-savings prepaid card business.

AJB Software Design Inc. has helped J. Crew, an American specialty retailer, integrate EMV-chip card acceptance into its stores in Canada. And with the EMV migration deadline approaching in the U.S., the middleware provider expects more business.

Despite regulatory and legal uncertainties that could affect the U.S. EMV chip-card migration, MasterCard Inc. is telling its acquiring banks and merchants that it intends to stick to its October 2015 deadline.

The Target Corp. data breach just before the holiday shopping season triggered another round of rhetoric on the merits and shortcomings of chip-based cards. But the breach's direct effect on merchant EMV plans is largely up in the air.