Merchant

Dwolla, a low-cost mobile-payments provider, has launched of what it is calling the first location-based payment technology, which will enable users to check in at various retailers and use their mobile phones to pay for purchases, the company. announced March 2.

Helped largely by the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, spending by Visa cardholders visiting Canada last year rose 10.3%, to $6.4 billion from $5.8 billion the previous year, Visa Inc. announced Feb. 28.

Payment-terminal maker VeriFone Systems Inc. this afternoon reported net income of $32 million for the fiscal first quarter ended Jan. 31, up 202% from $10.6 million during the same period last year. Revenue was up 27%, to $283.8 million from $223.4 million.

An estimated 444 collection agencies and creditors were sued between Feb. 1-15, a slight uptick from 440 in the second half of January, according to data from U.S. District Courts.

Axis Bank Ltd. has begun offering a service that allows customers to make income-tax payments at its ATMs in India, becoming the country’s first private-sector bank to do so.

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.

Tyfone Inc. is partnering with smartphone-accessory company Dexim Inc. to offer a sleeve that attaches to Apple Inc.’s iPhone to support contactless payments worldwide using Tyfone’s SideTap microSD chip technology, the companies announced Feb. 28.

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 1,455 refund checks to consumers defrauded by a mortgage loan modification and foreclosure rescue scam.

Approximately 57% of vending-machine operators plan to add or expand their use of cashless payments this year, while only 8% likely will not add payment card acceptance to their machines, new survey data suggest.

Demonstrating a way to make money on a service many banks view as a cost, Hearst Corp. on Feb. 28 launched a beta version of its bill presentment and payment site Manilla.com.