Cards

Google, like its mobile-pay rival Isis, relies on phones built with Near Field Communication chips to support its mobile wallet. So the growing number of NFC-equipped phones should give the Google Wallet a strong boost — shouldn't it?

Wright Express, a leading issuer and processor of fleet and other prepaid cards, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Fleet One for $369 million in cash from private equity firms LLR Partners and FTV Capital.

Acculynk says it has hit "an absolute home run" in completing an acquisition that brings its online PIN-debit technology to small and midsize merchants.

Safeway, the second-largest grocery chain in the U.S., is planning an initial public offering of a minority stake in its Blackhawk Network business.

Ingenico continues to pursue U.S. market share to capitalize on the breakup of rival payment-terminal maker Hypercom last year, and wireless terminals are a key part of that strategy.

Online marketplace Etsy is putting more marketing muscle behind its PayPal alternative, Direct Checkout, as it waives processing fees this month and makes Direct Checkout a requirement for accepting its virtual gift cards, which launch next month.

Credit unions are trying to join the prepaid card phenomenon by providing members lower fees than banks charge.

PayPal's deal to receive point of sale payments over Discover's network may not be as beneficial for Discover's offerings, particularly its Pulse PIN-debit network, as it is for PayPal's. But it's still a good deal for Discover.

Burroughs has acquired Absolute ATM Services and intends to integrate the ATM independent sales organization with its maintenance services and transaction technology operations.

The Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts of America has begun using a mobile card reader from VeriFone in its Annual Popcorn Sale.

As banks have added checking-account fees to counter reductions in debit card revenue, consumers have responded, too, by streamlining their wallets and closing dormant or less-used accounts, new research shows.

The Bitcoin system is preparing to join the many digital payment options that fall back on a prepaid card — but is a plastic card even necessary for e-wallets supported by Bitcoin, PayPal, Amex and others?

Awareness of contactless card payments in the UK has nearly doubled in the past year, resulting in more than a million payments per month, according to research that provides plenty of food for thought for the U.S. and other countries where such cards are available.

WOODBURY, Minn. – Postal CU has begun offering Visa Reloadable Prepaid Cards as alternatives to it Visa Debit Card, without the need for a checking account or credit check.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue Employees FCU has a new face for its alumni credit card, Eugene Cernan, the last man on the moon.

Square has stolen the spotlight — after convincing Starbucks to switch to Square for processing, the mobile-payments vendor gave other merchants the option to accept cards for a flat $275 monthly fee. How can a rival mobile-pay provider compete?

Kilowatt Credit Union of Madison, Wis., has selected First Data for debit processing services. The credit union also joined the Star Network, signing a multiyear agreement under which Star will provide PIN-secured debit point of sale and ATM access to its cardholders.

Wright Express Corp. continues to expand its global presence, acquiring a 51% interest in Unik SA, a privately held provider of payroll cards in Brazil, for approximately $21.9 million.

A common criticism of daily-deals providers such as Groupon and LivingSocial is that merchants using those services generally don't always receive return visits or sufficient data to use in designing long-term customer-loyalty plans.

DeviceFidelity is relaunching its Moneto mobile wallet, and this time around it lets users transfer funds to other Moneto users' prepaid accounts.