Merchant

Telefónica O2 Germany GmbH’s customers now may purchase virtual and physical goods online using their mobile-phone number through a partnership the wireless carrier announced with Boku Inc. March 24.

WESTON, Fla.–Details remain unclear regarding new Internal Revenue Service rules that require payment processors and acquirers to track merchants’ transactions and report them to the IRS, but help is on the way.

WESTON, Fla.–Independent sales organizations, concerned about how proposed new debit-interchange rules may affect their operations, are gearing up for changes even as experts say they cannot predict the shape those changes ultimately might take.

The delay some lawmakers are seeking in implementing proposed new debit-interchange rules would represent a “huge handout” to large banks that do not deserve another bailout by consumers and businesses, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters March 24 during a teleconference outlining his opposition to a delay.

Union Bank of India Ltd. is partnering with Nokia India Pvt. Ltd. to launch a mobile-based payment service, a spokesperson for the Mumbai-based bank tells PaymentsSource.

Alexandria, Va.-based Pentagon Federal Credit Union said it is providing members with 5% cash back on every gas purchase paid for at the pump and 1% cash back on all other purchases with the use of its PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card.

Spotting an opportunity to help hospitals improve patient-payment collection systems and to expand its relationships with commercial customers, Wells Fargo & Co. this month is rolling out an online health care payment product that integrates various functions.

Lloyds TSB Bank PLC later this year will begin issuing Visa-branded contactless debit cards to its accountholders within the greater London area, the Scotland-based bank announced March 23.

Payments-software company ACI Worldwide Inc. has acquired payments-software provider ISD Corp. for an undisclosed amount, a move that adds 140 retailers to ACI’s client base, Carolyn Homberger, ACI vice president of programs and operations, tells PaymentsSource.

IP Commerce Inc. will use Retail Decision Ltd.’s fraud-prevention service to help small merchants and application developers combat card-not-present fraud, the London-based card-fraud prevention and payment-processing company announced March 22.