Technology

Qatar National Bank Ltd. has launched the first mobile-to-mobile funds-transfer service in Qatar, the Doha-based bank announced Sept. 22.

MasterCard Worldwide is “tailoring strategies” around specific foreign-market situations to expand its global card-business opportunities, Walter Macnee, the card brand’s president of international markets, told attendees at the company’s symposium for media and analysts held Sept. 23 at MasterCard’s headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.

MasterCard Worldwide expects to increase its U.S. debit market share as a result of new network-routing rules included in pending federal changes in debit card interchange policies, Chris McWilton, MasterCard’s U.S. Markets president, said Sept. 23 at the company’s symposium for media and analysts at its headquarters in Purchase, N.Y.

Bharti Airtel Ltd. has become the first mobile operator in India to receive a license from the Reserve Bank of India to offer mobile-payment services, the New Delhi-based company announced Sept. 22.

Net 1 UEPS Technologies Inc. will buy a 98.73% stake in KSNet Inc., a South Korea-based payment processor, the South Africa-based payments-technology provider announced last week.

A judge has denied a motion by Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them by SmartMetric Inc., according to court filings published Wednesday.

The total dollar amount of outstanding subprime loans was $714 billion at June 30, a 45% decline from the peak in 2007, according to figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

A recent partnership between Western Union Co. and Toronto, Canada-based electronic-wallet provider EnStream LP will enable Canadian consumers to send funds both domestically and internationally using their mobile phones. The companies plan to launch a pilot in Canada in December.

Bank of the West is planning to offer its small-business customers an ACH payment service that could make costly wire transfers unnecessary.

PayMate India Pvt. Ltd. has signed an agreement with Bank of Ceylon to launch mobile payment and banking services in Sri Lanka, the Mumbai-based mobile-payments provider announced last week.