Technology

The reasons for banks to not embrace faster payments schemes are quickly dwindling. But many are still watching from the sidelines.

Readers debate the Federal Reserve's potential entry into real-time payments, consider the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's guidance for assessing fines, discuss the efficacy of financial education programs and more.

Allied Irish Banks and First Data's joint venture have agreed to a $112 million deal to purchase the consumer payment network and merchant acquirer.

T-Mobile, which announced Thursday that its four-month testing phase for the T-Mobile Money app is complete and that the banking/payments service is available nationwide, said the next step is to establish itself as a mainstream financial services company.

Flywire is partnering with True North to allow Canadian educational institutions to better manage payments from international students by integrating them with application, enrollment and accounts receivable processes.

Arguments that the central bank should develop its own system for faster payments ignore current market realities, says The Clearing House, which has developed its own network.

If American Express is going to soar in the future, it plans to do so firmly attached to the new 11-year contract it has signed with Delta Airlines.

Intercontinental Exchange Inc. has been facing resistance from federal regulators over a key part of its ambitious plan to bring Bitcoin to the masses. Now, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange is turning to state watchdogs to get the project over the goal line.

Corporations now have more access to consumer financial information than ever before. The question is whether banks will be the ones to help firms harness this data.

Dealing with a service bureau arrangement can unexpectedly become a giant, expensive nightmare. Here's one cautionary tale.