Cards

International Business Machines Corp. is zeroing in on the payments industry as part of a revamped banking technology strategy.

TCL Corp., a China-based mobile-phone manufacturer, has inked a deal with China UnionPay in which the companies will provide mobile handsets that support payment functions, the companies announced earlier this month.

AT&T Inc. has signed partnership agreements with three mobile-payment companies that enable its wireless customers to charge online purchases for such digital content as games and music directly to their mobile-phone bills.

MBNA Europe Bank Ltd. will be issuing some 5 million contactless credit cards to its customers in the United Kingdom as part of a two-year initiative the Bank of America Corp. subsidiary announced on Oct. 29.

Residents of Hubli and Dharwad in the Indian state of West Bengal may use credit cards to pay their property taxes through an online tax-payment system set to launch in November.

Apple Inc.’s MFi licensing program for devices designed to work with mobile Apple products has certified Blue Bamboo’s P25-M mobile printer and card reader, the China-based point-of-sale terminal maker announced Oct. 29.

Fifth Third Processing Solutions has signed processing deals with four Hawaii credit unions: Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union, Windward Community Federal Credit Union, The Queen's FCU and Garden Island Federal Credit Union.

Wincor Nixdorf AG is betting that an ATM that can recycle bills will take off in the U.S. just as it has abroad.

Visa Inc. said it is prepared to confront alternative and mobile payments head on.

Increased government interest and growing consumer adoption will help push the total funds loaded into prepaid card accounts to $672 billion by 2013, concludes a report from the Mercator Advisory Group.

Bolstered by efficiency gains and expense-management initiatives, MoneyGram International Inc. on Oct. 28 reported net income of $10 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, despite a reduction in revenue.

Transaction volume for Euronet Worldwide Inc.’s Money Transfer segment continued to grow during the third quarter as the company worked to expand the unit’s reach through additional payout locations and markets, company officials told analysts during an Oct. 27 conference call to discuss company earnings.

Wincor Nixdorf AG is betting a branch ATM that can recycle bills will take off in the U.S. just as it has abroad.

Consumers increasingly are becoming familiar with remote-deposit capture technology but generally are unable to use it because few financial institutions offer the at-home service, new survey data suggest.

Visa Inc. on Oct. 27 reported net income of $774 million for the fiscal fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, up 50.6% from $514 million during the same period a year earlier. Net operating revenue rose 12.8%, to $2.12 billion from $1.88 billion, the company said. Currency fluctuations boosted revenues during the quarter by 1%.

Consumer demand for more-robust Internet tools is helping push forward banks’ technology investments, Fiserv Inc.’s chief executive noted during an Oct. 27 earnings conference call with analysts.

State Bank of India Ltd. soon plans to begin offering merchant-acquiring services through a new joint venture company after it finalizes how much equity each of the venture partners holds, a spokesperson for the Mumbai-based bank confirms to PaymentsSource.

Euronet Worldwide Inc.’s epay division will install and run the retail operations of Sydney’s much-awaited smart card transit system, the electronic-payments processor announced in a recent statement.

Cardtronics Inc. will provide ATM-management services at 24 of Bosselman Inc.’s 42 Pump & Pantry convenience stores in Nebraska under an agreement the companies announced Oct. 27.

A second merchant acquirer in Brazil and a payment processor in Ecuador will install a combined 26,500 Hypercom Corp. point-of-sale terminals by the end of the year, the terminal maker announced in separate releases this week.