Cash

With 1.3 billion people who are mostly unbanked in an economy where 85% to 95% of all transactions are still conducted in cash, few other markets have such an opportunity to modernize payments.

Because cash remains a staple for customers at many businesses, a service like Total Armored Car cash delivery continues to be important to managing cash flow. But how companies go about ordering a cash delivery at Total Armored hasn't changed in decades — until now.

Advances in mobile technology have also permeated into other products, including point of sale hardware. With mobile point of sale devices being updated to include sophisticated software, there is more real-time capture of customer data in the store.

Walt Disney Co. is among the many companies that have aggressively pushed the limits of technology to do away with the need for cash. Its biggest test is about to begin.

Retracting an Obama administration policy that shielded banks servicing marijuana companies threatens financial firms and makes the pot industry too reliant on cash.

A crucial challenge for payment apps and cashless banking is how they adapt to provide services for the unbanked, writes Michael Kordvani, head of SEO for app development agency Fueled.

The rapid development of the Indian mobile wallet market demonstrates the importance of reactivity and adaptability. Huge opportunities await those who can successfully navigate the transformative impact of regulation, emerging technologies and shifting consumer expectations, writes Elina Mattila, executive director of the Mobey Forum.

While Starbucks is making a tentative move into cash refusal at one location, it's unlikely any retailer would widely refuse cash payments in the near term.

North Korean counterfeits haven't been documented since 2008, but recent sanctions may have pressured the country to return to making undetectable U.S. cash.

Prepaid2Cash has launched a mobile app enabling recipients of card network-branded gift cards to convert them to cash — targeting what the National Retail Federation says is nearly $30 billion in funds spent via gift cards in the U.S. during the holiday season.