Merchant

Secure Vault Payments, NACHA’s alternative payment system that enables consumers to make online purchases directly from their bank accounts, may gain new prominence from a test it is running with a sizeable client.

AT&T Inc. has added WorldPay US Inc. as a processor for the mobile-merchant payment initiative the telecommunication company launched last year, according to an entry posted March 1 on WorldPay’s blog.

Tee-On Golf System Inc.’s announced partnership earlier this week with Yespay International Ltd. will enable Canadian golf courses using Tee-On’s tee-time booking software to accept EMV chip-and-PIN payment cards, according to London-based Yespay.

High-tech hackers capable of breaking into sophisticated networks may be what many small-business owners envision when hearing about data-security risks. In their minds, such breaches are more likely to plague a corporate retail giant than a small, family-run shop.

Heartland Payment Systems Inc.’s Steve Elefant readily admits software-based payment-acceptance products are less secure than those requiring hardware. But that did not prevent the payments processor from supporting Acculynk Inc.’s PaySecure checkout software, which enables merchants to accept PIN-debit cards online.

ATM independent sales organizations are worried about declining interchange rates, rising costs and pending legislation, but the majority are still looking to expand their businesses within the next year, the results of a recent survey suggest.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. said Wednesday that it will offer its commercial card customers a spending control service from MasterCard Inc., the banking company said Wednesday.

Hypercom Corp. generated nearly a 400% rise in profit during the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with the same period in 2009, the terminal maker announced March 2.

Merchants’ security concerns are driving the development and sales of new payment hardware at VeriFone Systems Inc., the top executive at the payment-terminal maker told analysts during a March 1 conference call to discuss fiscal first quarter earnings.

As it looks to generate more revenue and to enable issuers of its cards to better analyze their customers’ transactions, MasterCard Worldwide is exploring ways to secure more volume for its processing switch from cards carrying the network’s brand, especially outside the U.S., Chris McWilton, MasterCard president of U.S. Markets, said during a March 1 presentation.