Merchant

SAN DIEGO–A future fraught with change is coming into focus, with electronic messages replacing merchants’ ads in the local Gazette, mobile payments proliferating and even the smallest retailers getting an affordable opportunity to link the point of sale to inventory replenishment.

SAN DIEGO–No one has brandished a crystal ball, but payment-terminal makers here this week at the ETA Annual Meeting & Expo still have had plenty to say about the future.

There are now several companies offering merchant-funded rewards programs that could help banks compensate for the loss of payment card revenue to tightening regulation. Only one has a name that's almost certain to grab consumers' attention: FreeMonee.

In launching its own digital wallet, Visa Inc. says its size will help it succeed in a market where many established payment companies have learned the hard way that bigger is not always better.

The PIN pad-tampering attack Michaels Stores Inc. revealed earlier this month is far more widespread than it originally believed, affecting at least 90 payment terminals in stores in 20 states, the retailer announced May 11.

Despite the buzz surrounding mobile-banking services, a relatively few consumers use them on a regular basis, though nearly half are familiar with them, new research suggests.

Despite the buzz surrounding mobile-banking services, a relatively few consumers use them on a regular basis, though nearly half are familiar with them, new research suggests.

Online Resources Corp. remains an appealing target for acquisition, analysts say, despite posting a first-quarter loss and being ordered by a court to pay $5.3 million to its founder.

Users in India of the online funds-transfer and payment service offered by U.S.-based PayPal Inc. face additional hurdles when making transactions, according to a notice the eBay Inc. unit released May 9.

Executives at Global Cash Access Holdings Inc. see positive market trends ahead, but they believe the road to recovery for the provider of cash-access and related card and ATM services to casinos will be bumpy.