Technology

Identity security and mobile payments are driving merger-and-acquisition activity in the payments industry as large companies strive to keep up with each other and the latest technology.

As preparations unfold for the U.S. payment system to convert to smart cards, merchants across the country would prefer to see a clearer process established to reach that goal.

The high costs and reputational damage caused when breaches expose sensitive customer information appear to be having little effect in persuading many companies to protect their data.

Even with small gains in three out of four components, the Deloitte Consumer Spending Index fell slightly in December because of a decline in housing prices.

To skeptics, fraud dangers lurk around every corner in the online shopping world.

Australia’s hotel industry association is warning consumers of a new credit card scam targeting major hotel chains operating in the country.

A strong holiday shopping season appears to have led some Americans to delay extra debt payments in December, but despite an end-of-year slowdown all 50 states ended the year with less credit card debt than when the year began, according to a recent report issued by CreditKarma.com.

Voice biometrics has had its share of starts and stops as a fraud-prevention and personal authentication tool in the past decade. Experts who note a person’s voice has more than 100 unique characteristics compared with only 40 for a fingerprint see the added value in voice biometrics as defense for card-data security.

Increased consumer spending on credit cards in North America and Europe was enough to have executives from Total System Services Inc. singing the praises of solid fourth-quarter earnings and, for the time being, soft-pedaling the potential future loss of Green Dot Corp.’s processing business.

Mortgage and home equity lines of credit delinquencies are predicted to rise, according to bank risk executives polled by the Professional Risk Managers' International Association, in a survey sponsored by FICO.