ISO & Agent

Apriva says it has "future-proofed" its services for merchant acquirers by connecting to a digital currency gateway and developing a universal point of sale application that will handle upgrades on EMV-enabled terminals.

Lavu Inc. is taking its iPad-based point-of-sale system from the restaurant dining room into the hotel lobby through Lavu Hospitality.

Amazon has hired Visa executive Nick Talwar as general manager of Amazon Lending, according to a report in ReCode.

First Data India is leveraging Roam's mobile platform to launch its own branded chip-and-PIN mobile card reader in the country.

Amazon's launch of a mobile card reader should force many mobile point of sale companies to reevaluate whether their own offerings are distinct enough to ensure their survival.

Square is seeking to gain about $200 million in funding, with part of that coming from the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, according to CNBC.

Sequent has patented a payment system that allows merchants to simultaneously accept several types of cards with a single tap of a mobile device at the physical point of sale, with the goal of making mobile wallets more user-friendly.

First Data has a number of payments initiatives planned for the next year in Brazil, where the mix of mobile and card adoption suggests big potential for electronic card payments.

By adding data analytics to its Square Register platform, Square Inc. says it is giving merchants of all sizes the kind of tools that larger retailers use to increase sales.

VeriFone is targeting a wide range of markets for its taxi and merchant applications. The company has reached an agreement with Bharti Airtel Group in Africa and, separately, entered taxi payment deals in Turkey and Mexico.

Square won't require users of its $99 Square Stand to replace their hardware when they are ready to accept EMV-chip cards. Instead, the vendor will support EMV cards through the hardware's included USB hub.

SumUp is preparing to bring its mobile point of sale device to a number of new countries, and hopes its practice of developing its technology in-house will help it contain the costs of chip and PIN card payments.

Square Inc. has received an investment from Victory Park Capital that it says will allow the company to significantly expand its Square Capital business financing program.

The pieces for a robust digital payments market in India are in place, and are waiting for a merchant-friendly catalyst, says Srinivas Nidugondi, head of mobile financial solutions at Mahindra Comviva, which is partnering with First Data to offer a mobile point of sale product in India.

Tanjarine is looking to improve card security in restaurant payments as it deploys a tablet-based system that is also meant to improve the customer experience.

First Data is bringing a new electronic payment offering to Brazil in collaboration with Bancoob, the banking arm of the credit union cooperative system Sicoob.

Using the format of a Top 10 list, Square Inc. attempted to set the record straight on various perceptions of its business that it insists "are totally bogus."

Heartland Payment Systems has purchased the mobile point of sale vendor Leaf to improve its capabilities for small businesses.

Square, which has been scrambling to add fee-based services to pad the revenue it gets from mobile payments, faces a formidable new challenge in Amazon's launch of a rival mobile card reader.

Amazon.com Inc. has launched a Square-like mobile card reader called Amazon Local Register, charging early adopters just 1.75% per swipe until the end of 2015.