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Square's heavy focus on merchant services now includes introductory marketing tools aimed at small businesses already using the mobile point of sale company to email coupons to customers based on how often they visit a store.

Recent cyber-attacks on the protocol that has long secured Web connections and, more recently, payment applications are pushing the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council to issue an update with strong implications for e-commerce sellers.

As digital technology has reshaped the acquiring business, some of the industry's biggest names are making splashy investments in mobile payments and merchant marketing.

Seeking online merchants that are angry about fraud-related chargeback expense, Kount and Ethoca are partnering to tip off businesses about payment cards that have a track record of suspect transactions.

While Apple Pay has won the buzz war since its launch in October, Samsung’s mobile payment initiative is poised for higher use at retailers, according to Mike Cook, a senior vice president and assistant treasurer at Wal-Mart Stores.

Davis + Henderson in Toronto has agreed to buy global payments solutions firm Fundtech.

At a time when many independent sales organizations feel threatened by disruptors like Square and Groupon, which sell directly to merchants, Verifone is relying more on ISOs to extend its offerings to smaller stores.

Throughout the U.S., many companies are still not covering the essentials when protecting their systems, but the enemy is getting increasingly sophisticated and relentless, Visa's risk chief said.

Ken Tye, senior vice president and chief information officer at Total Systems Services, will retire at the end of September, marking the departure of another long-time executive at the Columbus, Ga.-based processor.

For ex-bankers like Ruth Porat, who is leaving Morgan Stanley for Google, free-flowing cash and a sunnier climate are only part of Silicon Valley’s allure, industry observers note. The tech sector is also mercifully light on regulation.

Atlanta-based Global Payments has entered an agreement to buy the European online payment gateway Realex Payments.

Zumigo, an identity provider, is expanding the reach of its mobile location verification service to online merchants.

Merchant acquirers are required to respond to mobile's impact in an almost infinite number of ways, and in many cases deem acquisition the best and fastest play to diversify beyond payments.

Some "friendly fraud" is more manipulative than friendly. Global Risk Technologies wants to help merchants appeal more chargebacks and get back some of the billions of dollars lost to friendly fraud.

Women bankers who want a family and a fulfilling career should focus on building a strong support system outside of work, or else opportunities will pass them by, according to panel of senior women executives at HSBC.

Moneris Solutions Corp. was chosen to handle all payment processing for the Government of Canada, the company announced March 19.

Facebook's Messenger app will soon let users send funds to one another, and the social network's use of payments to drive advertising and other business services is unlikely to stop there.

BMO Harris is adding cardless ATM access to 750 machines, enabling customers to withdraw cash using a smartphone application instead of a plastic card.

It's become apparent that more organizations are attaining PCI compliance, but far fewer can stay in compliance for a reasonable period of time.

Like a Hollywood star making the rounds before a premier movie date, Visa and other organizations are going on tour to promote EMV-chip card technology ahead of the October deadline set for U.S. companies.