ISO & Agent

ING has purchased Belgian digital loyalty platform Qustomer as part of its larger strategy to boost mobile payments.

Kash Corp. is prepared to move into the money transfer world, launching an application programming interface (API) that will allow companies of all sizes to accept direct debit payments without credit card fees.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati has tapped a new chief strategy officer to replace Dan Poston, who will leave the bank to join the payment processor Vantiv.

MasterCard Europe is making a major push to increase mobile payments acceptance points and encourage higher value transactions, considered a “tipping point” in the market’s maturation.

Samsung is trying to take wearables beyond watches and bands into something closer to traditional fashion, including a full suit, a purse, a bag and a line of shirts—all equipped digitally.

Stockholm-based mobile wallet provider Seamless Distribution AB is seeking beta testers for a new digital cash register service that would become part of its SEQR wallet application.

SIM card and EMV technology provider Gemalto is working with Samsung to help the telecom company introduce Samsung Pay in Europe.

Young people have a much different relationship with credit, requiring retailers to find different ways to enable financing to encourage larger purchases.

CPI Card Group Inc., which makes payment cards for firms including Bank of America Corp. and American Express Co., aims to raise about $300 million in an initial public offering, according to people familiar with the company’s plans.

Card payment acquirer and payment service provider EVO Payments has bought Citigroup’s merchant acquiring business in Mexico for an undisclosed sum.

CHICAGO —Heartland Payment Systems CEO Bob Carr will never be accused of not making his feelings known about the Merchant Customer Exchange mobile wallet venture.

The Automated Clearing House is too expensive and complex to provide faster payments for smaller banks and businesses, claims Dwolla, which contends its open system is a better option for those market segments.

Three large U.K. banks have suffered recent payment glitches, including temporary outages at HSBC, Natwest and Royal Bank of Scotland—suggesting existing bank payment systems are challenged to process digital transactions.

MCX has announced Inmar will be the promotions management and processing vendor for its CurrentC mobile payments system, but it has not revealed the names or number of consumer goods manufacturer participants, a lack of disclosure that analysts say challenges the launch's credibility.

CaixaBank’s is managing smartphone hardware challenges for its new mobile payment app by adopting host card emulation (HCE).

London-based mobile point of sale provider SumUp has received 10 million euros [$11.2 million U.S.] in funding from investors, including American Express, Groupon and BBVA Ventures.

European mobile point of sale gateway provider payworks will offer its service through Miura Systems' EMV and Near Field Communication mobile terminals.

The Debit Network Alliance last week officially launched its shared application identifier (AID) for EMV debit routing, but merchants likely won't be in any rush to implement the technology despite the fast-approaching Oct. 1 liability shift.

Loyalty programs have often been considered a key motivator to shift consumers to mobile payments and away from cash and cards. But few companies have actually blended mobile with loyalty in a compelling way.

Following its massive 2013 data breach, Target vowed to accelerate its EMV-chip card migration, but the retailer still just barely made the card networks' deadline.