Bank technology

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VeriFone Holdings Inc. on Thursday named Chase Paymentech Solutions LLC as one of its preferred merchant processors for users of its mobile phone card reader.

Starbucks Corp.'s mobile payment system went from a "Short" trial at 16 stores to a "Grande" deployment in more than a thousand locations, validating a low-tech approach to high-tech payments.

Banks are gearing up to test a long-awaited wire transfer format that would cut their costs but may not initially be worth the effort.

How individual banks decide to evolve will vary. Some will redefine the functions of their branches. Some will reduce branches. Some will choose to add branches. Whatever the strategy, the increased role of technology will be undeniable.

Most U.S. consumers cite cash as their preferred form of payment despite increasing adoption of debit cards and other electronic modes, according to a report released last week by the Rockville, Md., consumer research firm Packaged Facts.

Pricing the skimming device market; the law catches up to a stealthy Canadian bank robber; the "call-ahead" bank robbers in Conn.; TJX breach mastermind faces sentencing; and more.

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LendingTree, a unit of Tree.com Inc., said Monday that it can now send consumers e-mail alerts when a mortgage they are shopping for hits a certain target rate.

ACH Payments is expanding its payment processing services to Canada in response to requests from its U.S. merchant clients that have Canadian customers.

The Russian payments company QIWI has agreed to offer prepaid vouchers from Ukash at its network of 100,000 kiosks throughout the country.

Heartland Payment Systems Inc. says its E3 encryption system has been adopted by several payment hardware makers.

Fiserv Inc. said Monday that it has created a bill-payment widget that enables consumers to pay bills online without going to a dedicated bill-pay page.

DataTreasury Corp.'s courtroom victory over three major payments companies is expected to give the check-imaging technology provider more ammunition in its ongoing patent battle with some of the country's largest financial companies.

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New Zealand payment card issuers must begin using cards that comply with the EMV Integrated Circuit Card Specifications within two years, Visa Inc. said.

ERF Wireless Inc. of League City, Texas, has added First Federal Bank of Louisiana in Lake Charles as a customer for its encrypted wireless network, which aims to speed up data transfers between a bank's branches.

Discover is not alone among payments players using social networks to gather market data, promote products and interact with customers. After months or even years of "listening" to interactions on social networks, all of the major card brands and many issuers have been building online communities.