Technology

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.

The credit card issuer has built a distributed ledger through which merchants create their own membership rewards and get access to detailed information on purchases and the success of promotions.

Bittrex, a Seattle cryptocurrency exchange that lets users swap nearly 200 different digital coins, said it forged banking agreements that will allow some customers to trade in U.S. dollars.

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.

With the acquisition of Confyrm, the bank is among the few players that are putting themselves in position to sell ID authentication services to other businesses.

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.

Narmi, launched by a former credit union executive, aims to bring "innovative financial technology" to credit unions throughout the Garden State.

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

In an advancing digital age, banks and merchants rarely question the data that advanced analytics and artificial intelligence can provide about their customers' financial and payments habits. But are they using data analytics to its fullest potential?