ISO & Agent

U.K.-based grocer Sainsbury's is readying a contactless payment shopping app that allows consumers to pick out items before they even get to the store and confirm payment upon leaving through a "payment zone."

Wireless transactions provider Apriva and payment technology services company Global Payments have teamed up to release a white-label EMV mobile payment offering.

Customer loyalty provider Clutch has forged an agreement with POS on Cloud, a point of sale software company, to provide restaurant and retail gift card, loyalty, and customer intelligence for businesses.

As part of the transition to EMV-chip cards in the U.S., some issuers are adding PIN security to cards that used to require only a signature. But as technology advances, the PIN may not provide as much security as consumers believe.

Stripe's quick disruption of the payment processing industry in the U.K. is measurable in at least one simple way — counting clicks.

Point of sale software developer Amber Systems Technologies has integrated EMV-chip card processing into its Vigore POS restaurant management system.

Though most merchants will be liable for fraud if they do not upgrade to EMV-chip card terminals by the start of October, many do not see themselves affected by fraud on the same scale as the major retailers that have suffered massive data breaches.

Total System Services (TSYS) has launched a new data analytics tool called TSYS Analytics Intellisuite, which will feature dashboards for real-time data monitoring and analysis of consumer portfolios.

Heartland Payment Systems has certified Digital Dining and its iPad-based point of sale system for its EMV-ready security technologies.

The Payments Security Task Force and the EMV Migration Forum will offer educational materials about EMV-chip card payments, including templates of social media posts and hashtags; educational downloads that include visual aids and training guides; media interview tips; and more.

The small merchants that turn to Square for their card acceptance needs are also among the most reluctant to swap out their hardware for devices that can handle EMV-chip cards, so Square is putting into play a strategy that banks have long used to get consumers on board with new technology.

Total System Services (TSYS), the Columbus, Ga.-based payment processor, has hired Patricia A. Watson to be senior executive vice president and chief information officer, effective Sept. 14.

Banks are making a big push to court retailers with large stacks of cash, including fast-food chains, gas stations and big-box stores. Regional banks, in particular, are expanding their "smart safe" business — a niche treasury product that retailers use to sort and remotely deposit dollar bills.

Rather than compete head-on with Square, Intuit is crafting a strategy of providing software that complements Square's offerings for merchants that have more complex needs.

The payment processors Heartland Payment Systems in Princeton, N.J., and VersaPay in Toronto have partnered to sell a cloud-based accounts receivable product.

PetLinx, a New Zealand startup that provides software for pet companies, has contracted Boston-based Cayan (formerly Merchant Warehouse) to provide payments support.

As CEO of the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) mobile wallet venture, Brian Mooney must remain calm as his company faces an increasingly stormy market with no product to show for its years-long efforts.

In the heavily competitive mobile payments market, the fastest way to lose is to pin all hopes on one vendor. Rite Aid learned this lesson the hard way as a participant in the Merchant Customer Exchange, a multi-retailer mobile payments initiative that demanded exclusivity from its partners.

International payment services provider Planet Payment has made changes in its executive leadership, naming Robert Cox president and Raymond D'Aponte chief financial officer.

The NASA Federal Credit Union will mix science non-fiction and fiction, providing Star Trek themed credit cards on request to its members.