Credit

In a move aimed at significantly expanding its card-brands’ acceptance in Europe, Discover Financial Services has forged a processing and merchant-acquiring agreement with First Data Corp. for international operations, a Discover executive tells PaymentsSource.

As a growing number of United Kingdom-based merchants adopt contactless payment technology as part of a broad regional effort leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games, specific retailers are seeing the technology’s benefits.

Wikileaks and Iceland-based data-hosting service DataCell ehf. say they will file a complaint on July 7 with the European Commission against Visa Inc. and MasterCard Worldwide if the payment companies continue to block their payment-processing.

Consumer credit card growth, which has been on the decline for about three years, could be showing signs of life again, according to data Equifax Inc. released July 1.

Western Union Co. has struck a deal that will make it a competitor, but also a potential partner, for banks trying to capture a bigger chunk of the business payments market.

To encourage online shopping, which faces resistance in India because of security concerns over using credit cards online, Axis Bank Ltd. has launched an e-Wallet card, the India-based announced June 29.

In an unintended consequence of the newly revised federal rules on cybersecurity, banks are likely to fare much worse in lawsuits over fraud losses.

To make health care transactions more transparent and simpler, Qatar is making the use of bankcards for the payment of health care bills mandatory at its hospitals and clinics.

Discover Financial Services’ shares fell as much as 3% July 1 after disclosing that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is reviewing its marketing of payment-protection and other fee-based products.

American Express Co. has inked sponsorship deals designating its brand as the official card of two major entertainment venues and three professional teams, the company announced June 30.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is reviewing Discover Financial Services’ marketing of payment protection and other fee-based products.

Call it cash-back rewards for credit card lenders.

Call it cash-back rewards for credit card lenders.

Online and mobile-payment startup Dwolla Corp. has been building a payment network called Grid that company executives believe to be more secure than MasterCard Worldwide’s and Visa Inc.’s card networks.

Bill-payment processor Tio Networks Corp. is making headway with its mobile bill-payment application.

In its first major play to connect its mobile-payments service with social media, Starbucks Coffee Co. on June 30 unveiled a mobile-payment application it developed in-house that consolidates the features of previous apps with links to enable users to send Starbucks gift cards via Facebook.

States’ efforts to rein in fly-by-night companies are starting to have an effect on some payments startups’ operations.

The marketplace is beginning to take shape for mobile card readers with the June 29 disclosure that VeriFone Systems Inc. plans to introduce a card-reading accessory for tablet computers this year.

Those attending the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games may find paying for their cab rides will be a bit quicker and easier.

Technology vendor Fiserv Inc. is making a bold move to bolster its digital payments arsenal by shelling out $465 million to buy the smaller technology company CashEdge Inc.