Technology

Payroll-services company Payzone will use ACH Federal’s automated clearinghouse processing services to support its small-business customers, ACH Federal announced Jan. 5.

U.S. consumers would be able to use their smartphones to pay, collect and redeem coupons, and price-compare products and services both online and in stores under a partnership deal ARS Interactive and CellPoint Mobile announced Jan. 6.

Fifth Third Processing Solutions LLC will supply funds-transfer and other services to First Cheyenne Federal Credit Union through an agreement the Cincinnati-based processor announced Jan. 6.

Jamaica police reportedly have arrested four men allegedly involved in a credit and debit card fraud ring.

PayPal Inc. weathered last month's Internet attacks better than most of its rivals, but it still has been more outspoken than anyone else about its need for improvement.

After another year in which legislators and regulators rewrote the rules of the game in the payments industry, equity markets have rendered provisional judgments on which companies face the worst handicaps.

Merchant processor Global Payments Inc. on Jan. 6 reported net income of $53.5 million for its fiscal second quarter ended Nov. 30, down 14.8% from $62.8 million during the same period last year. Revenues, however, increased by 8.4%, to $443.5 million from $409 million.

The past year saw debit card issuers introduce rewards programs to the marketplace and card networks extend their brands with direct-to-consumer offers such as MasterCard Marketplace and Visa Extras. But the debit-rewards landscape likely will change drastically under the Federal Reserve Board’s proposed new debit card interchange rules, a new report suggests.

Visa Inc. says it has made upgrades to its Advanced Authorization antifraud system.

Fifth Third Bancorp later this year plans to launch CashEdge Inc.’s Popmoney electronic-payment service, which enables consumers to transfer funds to another person’s bank account through the automated clearinghouse system, the companies announced Jan. 5.