Webster Bank's use of advanced alerting allows it to receive valuable, real-time feedback from its customers about how they prefer to make payments, says Greg Jacobi, senior vice president of distribution and customer experience for Webster Bank.

Brazilian mobile app marketplace developer Bemobi is working with local carriers to handle payments from consumers who don't use or have access to credit cards.

Micros, an international provider of checkout systems, is integrating Yapital Financial AG's cross-channel payment technology into its Micros POS systems.

Google has upgraded Google Wallet to allow shoppers to automatically track their online orders.

Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee-shop operator, will test a smartphone service this year that lets customers order items ahead of time at some U.S. cafes, part of a push to promote its mobile application.

E-commerce payments processor 2Checkout is attempting to win over businesses by enabling the potential clients to accept transactions before it fully vets them.

Corethree Ltd. is providing a mobile ticketing application to those who use the First U.K. Bus fleet in Great Britain.

BBVA Compass has been fast to flesh out the payments capabilities of its mobile banking app, and this work has attracted a growing and engaged mobile customer base.

Starbucks, which handles more than 11% of its weekly transactions as payments from its mobile app, is planning to add several new features for iPhone owners.

The growing complexity of technology is forcing payments providers to ask whether they are better off becoming one-stop shops or building a network of partners to fill out their offering.

EMVCo, the EMV standard governing body has released specifications for payment tokenization, a process that it says will strengthen security on card-not-present transactions initiated by EMV-chip cards.

The payments processor TSYS has added features to its Credit Care tool to improve data access for banks and cardholders.

Mobile banking technology company Monitise is attempting to make account alerts two-way conversations, with an eye on marketing and security capabilities for payments applications.

McDonald's customers throughout Sweden can now pay for their meals with their phone using Seamless' QR code-based mobile wallet, SEQR, from within the McDonald's app.

PayPal has added 15 partners to its Startup Blueprint program, expanding the network's reach to 5,000 startups.

First Data Corp. has appointed Frank Bisignano as the Atlanta-based company's chairman, adding to his role as chief executive officer.

EBay has been adamant that its auction and payments businesses are best kept united, but if activist investor Carl Icahn succeeds in his mission to split off PayPal, eBay probably would not exit the payments business completely.

Chase Merchant Services has developed technology that could have helped its parent company, JPMorgan Chase, deal with the hefty task of reissuing 2 million cards in the wake of the massive Target data breach.

Beacons, or Bluetooth Low Energy transmitters, are seeing a burst in popularity as components of mobile payment systems. The devices, which can be roughly the size and shape of a nightlight, allow retailers to detect a mobile app user's presence in the store.

Clinkle Corp., a San Francisco startup that specializes in mobile transactions, has appointed Josh Brewer as its vice president of design.