Acquirers

Education payments company peerTransfer has grown quickly by providing a specialized service to a specific market, but it may be time for it graduate to new lines of business.

Traditional merchant acquirers have faced disruption from a number of new entrants in recent years from companies such as Square and its peers. And now, a football team is getting into the game.

Square is committed to its diversification strategy, furthering its transformation from a simple mobile point of sale provider to a company that also handles small-business loans, marketing and e-commerce.

2014 was a big year for payments. Disruption came from within the financial services industry and from outsiders like Apple and Walmart. Mainstream payment companies had to respond to these new competitors as well as adapt to fresh attention from regulators and fraudsters.

The point of sale technology provider TouchBistro is partnering with Uber to provide free transportation service to restaurant patrons in Toronto.

While many mobile wallet companies look to complement credit and debit card acceptance, South Africa's SnapScan is focused on merchants who accept only cash.

LevelUp, a mobile payments provider known for its playful office culture — and a CEO who prefers to be called a chief ninja — may need to mature as its competition gets serious.

The mobile point of sale provider ShopKeep is releasing hardware that is compatible with Apple Pay's Near Field Communication payment system and EMV-chip cards.

Dwolla is expanding its direct bank transfer services to allow its account holders to send payments to a recipient's e-mail address for automatic routing to a bank account.

Microsoft is working with Bitcoin merchant services provider BitPay to allow customers to seamlessly exchange the virtual currency when loading money into their Microsoft accounts.

?Square Inc. has hired former Visa marketing executive Kevin Burke to lead its customer acquisition initiatives in retail, paid, Web and events marketing channels.??

Revel Systems plans to expand in Europe after securing a $1.2 million grant from Invest Northern Ireland.

Square CEO Jack Dorsey told CNN that his company wants to help businesses accept all payment forms, including Apple Pay.

Square is adding global support for its Register merchant services app, a move that allows the company to measure demand in new markets before investing in the distribution of its hardware and other services.

Mobile payments provider iZettle is expanding into the Netherlands with its payments application, mobile card reader and business management software.

Square, which made a short-lived attempt at digital gift cards in late 2012, is debuting a new gift card service today with a heavy emphasis on an older payment instrument: plastic.

Mobile tech providers are racing to incorporate EMV chip-and-PIN or chip-and-signature security into their offerings. But many of these companies are taking fundamentally different approaches to linking EMV and mobile technology.

Square Inc. may have more incentive than other acquirers in urging merchant clients to accept EMV-chip cards, but its pricing strategy could deter some from adopting the secure technology.

Remittance provider TelUPay is relying a local ATM network to reach the substantial remittance payments market in Indonesia.

The device, known as Clover Mobile, allows merchants to perform a variety of business functions, including scanning inventory and taking payments, using a mobile tablet. Earlier versions of Clover, called Clover Station, were designed to be affixed to a countertop.