Credit

First Data Corp.’s decision to consolidate its merchant and card-issuer processing operations could help the payments company trim costs and better seize opportunities stemming from pending debit card regulation, analysts said Jan. 13.

VeriFone Systems Inc. confirmed its plans to spin off Hypercom Corp.’s U.S business after its planned merger is completed in the second half of this year, according to regulatory filing Wednesday.

Compliance with Payment Card Industry data-security standards is a top concern among smaller merchants, but many remain unaware of the scope of their potential liability regarding data breaches and are unclear on specific requirements, new survey data released Jan. 12 suggest.

U.S. consumers’ average credit scores slipped one point in the past year, and credit card debt fell by 8% to $7,404 during the same period, according to data released Jan. 12 by Credit Karma.

Pitney Bowes Inc., perhaps best known for manufacturing postage-meter machines, has created a free online bill-payment system designed to help consumers not only to receive, view and pay bills, but also to manage other important financial communications.

North American Bancard will use Partner Commerce Inc.’s advertising network to find prospective merchants to help drive account growth, the Troy, Mich.-based independent sales organization announced Jan. 6.

Consumers in the United Kingdom are using credit cards less to avoid debt, but issuers still have opportunities to increase card use by better conveying the benefits and value credit cards offer, new research suggests.

The universe of bonds backed by credit card loans shrank by about a fifth last year as an era of off-balance-sheet accounting ended and the industry re-engineered its funding base.

MasterCard Worldwide has signed a six-year sponsorship deal with The Walt Disney Co. and Euro Disney Associés S.C.A. to create marketing opportunities and to do card-related promotions in Europe, the card brand announced Jan. 11.

More than half of corporations plan to increase spending this year on payment-security compliance, while the task of educating employees on the proper methods for handling cardholder data remains a pesky challenge, new survey data released Jan. 12 suggest.

Payment-services company Merchant Link LLC and point-of-sale terminal maker Pax Technology Ltd. have signed agreements to use Voltage Security Inc.’s advanced SecureData encryption service, the security technology company announced in separate news releases Jan. 11.

Mobile-banking applications are plentiful and easily available, but new research suggests consumer awareness of them is low despite the buzz surrounding the service.

An online version of US Dataworks Inc.’s Clearingworks payment service is now available to businesses looking to automate many of the nonelectronic payments they receive, the Houston-based company announced Jan. 11.

A limited numbers of Bangkok commuters this spring will begin testing the use of a single, contactless smart card to access the city’s two train networks, an official at the Bangkok Mass Transit System Co. Ltd. tells PaymentsSource.

As payments executives debate which approach to mobile payments will win out, Bank of America Corp. is showing greater commitment to a system based on Visa Inc.’s specifications.

In a management shuffle announced Jan. 11, Obopay Inc. promoted its president to chief executive, and its previous CEO assumed the role of executive chairman.

Mobile payments startup Square Inc. has raised $27.5 million in venture capital, a spokesperson confirmed Jan. 11.

JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Southwest Airlines Co. have updated their rapid rewards credit card program to include a wider scope of rewards that includes no blackout dates or seat restrictions, Chase announced Jan. 11.

China Banking Corp. has launched in the Philippines a mobile version of its online-banking service customers may use to inquire about account balances, transfer funds and pay bills, the Manila-based bank announced Jan. 6.

A bank in the Philippines on Jan. 10 launched a prepaid smart card capable of performing multiple payment functions at ATMs, payment terminals or online.