Zapp, a new company allowing consumers to link their mobile phone numbers to their bank account to make peer-to-peer payments, announced its system will be built on Oracle technology.

Payvia is looking to burst through the traditional mobile funds transfer model in emerging markets by adding a wide range of digital services and new forms of content.

Tablet point of sale technology provider ShopKeep POS has hired Todd Lasher as vice president and general manager of its channel business.

Jumio's Mobile Consumer Habits study is grabbing headlines and laughs for revealing that 9% of U.S. adults admitted to using their smartphones during sex — but the survey's other findings have more serious implications for the future of mobile payments.

DeviceFidelity has chosen MoneyGram to be the money transfer provider for its moneto mobile wallet.

Prepaid card and technology provider InComm has launched an in-store digital sales program, allowing consumers to buy digital gift cards and other virtual items alongside physical ones at brick-and-mortar merchant locations.

Kipochi, an African online service launched this month, is looking for a way to connect the digital currency Bitcoin to M-Pesa, Kenya's widely-used mobile payments system.

Dubbed the "Athens of America" because it's rife with colleges and universities in the area, Boston is becoming a hub for tech startups as recent grads — and even dropouts — bring fresh perspective to the payments industry.

C-Sam Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. and HyperSoft Co. Ltd. have jointly developed "Salon de Wallet," a mobile wallet for beauty salons in Japan.

Corethree Ltd. has developed a mobile wallet that allows drivers of electric vehicles in the U.K. to locate charging stations and pay through their smartphones.

Virtual Piggy has linked its youth payments engine to Innovation First International, which makes robotic toys and educational tools.

Payments and marketing are getting closer than ever, and several companies are blurring the line between where the payment ends and where the pitch begins.

Bitcoin exchange Coinbase will offer instant purchases for users that supply identity information, with others having to wait four days for transactions to complete.

Google requires the early adopters who buy its Google Glass headset to purchase it using Google Wallet. What are the implications for Google's payments strategy?

Developers should consider incorporating rewards and other tools such as receipt tracking in new mobile payment applications to promote broad adoption.

With the summer driving season in full swing, Shell Oil Products U.S. is attempting to boost the appeal of its branded payment cards.

GoCardless is using a link to Sage's accounting software to improve the experience of automating business-to-business payments in a market that typically lags the consumer payments market.

The Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a mobile payments initiative created by major retailers, will use technology from FIS to speed processing and provide access to accounts at a large range of financial institutions.

The payment processor Global Payments Inc. will offer its U.S. merchant customers an iPad point of sale system from ShopKeep POS.

The next big idea for payments is ready to spring to life, and MasterCard wants to be there when it happens.