Bank technology

As banks look for ways to get revenue from free services like bill pay, they risk becoming a target of public outcry, as Verizon Wireless has in recent days over a short-lived plan to assess a $2 fee for certain bill payments.

PointBank is looking to replace lost checking-account revenue by boosting its social media presence.

With all eyes on Wal-Mart as a potential disruptive force in the banking world, some might overlook major recent innovations coming out of the No. 2 retailer, Target.

A startup aims to make alternative payment options as streamlined as using bank-issued cards online by removing the need to authenticate the user at a separate website.

World of Warcraft players are willing to buy security tokens at $6.50 a pop. Why aren't bank customers?

St. Joseph Health System has chosen Northern Trust Corp. to provide custody and related services for its $1.8 billion operating assets.

LendingTools and Viewpointe have teamed up to provide a new settlement option for corporate credit unions.

PointBank in Pilot Point, Texas, is working with fisoc to offer its customers a social media rewards program called BuzzBanking.

Online banking customers for King's Town Bank in Taipei, Taiwan, can now send and receive Western Union money transfers internationally.

In the realm of payment card data security, 2011 qualifies as the year in which "more" became a key term on many levels.

More than anything else, Steve Jobs was passionate about design – design that leads to improved usability. His belief that both hardware and software should be functional without training sessions and manuals has changed the way many industries look at their software. But will these ideas make it into banking?

Receivables Exchange said Wednesday that it is working with Insperity to provide live receivables auctions to more small and medium U.S. businesses.

This year saw two of the U.S. payments industry's most stagnant technologies — chip-cards and decoupled debit — take divergent paths.

Banks are starting to take a closer look at the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, though its rules do not take effect until 2013. And even though FATCA is focused on companies based outside the U.S., its effects may gradually influence domestic financial institutions.

A California start-up is building what it calls the "Visa of prepaid." But it has a long ways to go before it becomes a household name.

A Plano, Texas, check-imaging technology provider has settled its federal patent infringement claims against U.S. Bancorp for undisclosed terms.

When online shoppers are looking for alternatives to credit and debit cards, Mopay hopes they will consider adding charges to their Internet service provider's bill.

As more banks allow smartphones to remotely access sensitive systems, they may need to beef up their security for handhelds.

Online "hacktivist" group Anonymous claimed Sunday it had stolen a trove of emails and credit-card information from U.S.-based security firm Stratfor's clients, and vowed additional attacks.

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