Merchant

California lawmakers have voted to authorize the establishment of state-chartered banks for the limited purpose of serving the marijuana industry.

Many of these attacks have been server side ransomware and other sophisticated hacks, leading companies to examine the immature security processes, the technology of application security, and the insufficient expertise of development, writes Jeannie Warner, the security manager at WhiteHat Security.

Retailers often try to counter Amazon's dominance by using the e-commerce giant's strengths against it, including its reliance on search engine optimization.

Virtual reality is seeing significant leaps in technology, with immediate applications to gaming and entertainment that foreshadow richer applications for VR in commerce.

Unless near zero-friction identity security is embraced, connected devices cannot be used for payments in a substantial way, according to Xavier Larduinat, manager for innovation at Gemalto.

Splitit has recently begun offering point-of-sale financing with monthly installment payments for debit card purchases, targeting more budget-conscious U.S. and European consumers as well as those without credit.

Whether they’re thwarting cyber thieves or building out new apps, bank chiefs say hefty tech investments are now a cost of doing business — but they have to convince shareholders.

The numbers are better but still disappointing for such a healthy economy, lamented executives from large U.S. banks. Some are scratching their heads, some are remaining upbeat about the second half of the year, and others are focusing on Plan B.

Ingenico is negotiating a business combination with BS Payone that would boost its profile in parts of central Europe and allow it to counter multichannel moves by other major payment companies.

Wirecard and Enio, an Austria-based supplier of electric car charging stations throughout Europe, are collaborating to enable contactless payments at thousands of sites.