Credit

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.

MasterCard Worldwide has moved forward in its efforts to become a bigger player in Chinese payments industry under a new agreement with China UnionPay, the country’s national bank card association.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday suggested raising the debit interchange fee cap to 21 cents per transaction, but it gave banks a little bit of leeway to charge even more if they meet certain fraud prevention standards.

Bank of Maharashtra Ltd. became India’s newest credit card issuer on June 28 when it announced a partnership with State Bank of India Ltd.

VeriFone Systems Inc. continues to gain momentum in the contactless-terminal market for taxis is the Asia-Pacific region, signing a contract to supply 15,600 contactless payment terminals to the largest taxi fleet in Singapore.

Federal regulators on June 28 released updated guidance on how banks should guard against cyber-security threats.

Yet another mobile-commerce venture is being formed, and this one could have some staying power, according to an analyst familiar with the deal.

American Express Co. and Facebook Inc. have adapted the issuer’s rewards program to provide a perk no business can do without: advertising.

Mobile-payments startup Square Inc.’s $100 million venture-capital avalanche announced June 29 could mean that the company’s transaction volume is gaining significant momentum despite its lack of profits, one analyst contends.

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve Board on Wednesday suggested raising the debit interchange fee cap to 26 cents per transaction – more than double its initial proposal of 12 cents.

Visa Inc. kicked off a program in Detroit on June 29 desigjned to expand credit availability for small businesses through a partnership with the microlending website Kiva.org.

In a move that could help stave off defection among its multinational customers seeking global commercial card capabilities, U.S. Bancorp on June 28 said its subsidiary Elavon Financial Services Ltd. soon will begin issuing commercial cards in Europe through a new processing agreement it inked with Total System Services Inc., or TSYS.