Canada is presenting many opportunities to the payments companies operating within its borders and in the U.S. Here are some of the most recent examples.

As mobile payments companies seek a receptive audience, many are turning their attention to restaurants. And the food industry, in turn, is increasingly receptive to putting mobile payments on their menu.

Alternative digital payments for the on-the-go consumer go well beyond the standard fare of Near Field Communication chips and QR codes. Here’s a look at some of the most imaginative mobile payments options devised.

Evertec Inc., a significant acquirer processor and card issuer in Latin America and the Caribbean region for 25 years, is casting part of its business as that market's Square Inc. and looking to supercharge its payments business after its April 12 initial public offering.

The 25th Card Forum & Expo brought hundreds of payments professionals together in Boca Raton, Fla. to share strategies and ideas. Here's a recap of some of the most talked about subjects from the event.

MoonClerk is a new company that's targeting a distinct segment of the payments technology market—the startups and small businesses that want to build a Web payment acceptance engine, but don't have the right tech expertise in-house.

Mobile payment provider Payleven is adding two new features to lure larger businesses—the ability to manage multiple chip-and-PIN card readers from a single master account and support for both mobile and stationary printer systems.

If you're looking for Swedish cash, don't go to a Swedish bank. Most of the country's biggest lenders have stopped manual cash-handling services in 65 percent to 75 percent of their local branches. They say cash is out as Swedes rely on credit cards, the Internet and mobile phones to make all their payments.

The retailer-driven Merchant Customer Exchange mobile payments venture is making a lot of noise, though it has yet to reveal its product. But since the final MCX app will interact with those made by its individual retailers, CVS Caremark Corp. can serve as an early example of the venture's potential.

As the Merchant Customer Exchange asserts its position in the mobile wallet market, it emphasizes that the path to a consumer’s physical wallet runs through retailers.

Virtual Piggy has two major challenges as mobile commerce expands. The youth-focused alternative payments provider has to tackle the generation gap between its users and the parents that supervise transactions, and it must maintain consistency between digital channels.

Emerging payments technologies like mobile banking and new prepaid tools present an opportunity to better serve the millions of unbanked and underbanked consumers in the United States, according to the president of global payments options at American Express.

PayPal's long-watched partnership with Discover, which will allow Discover merchants to accept PayPal payments at the point of sale, is on track to launch April 19.

McDonalds' foray into mobile debit in Canada is helping spark a national expansion that includes broader adoption of the technology by issuers and merchants.

The United States has long resisted adopting the EMV smart-card standard to replace magnetic-stripe credit and debit cards. But the card networks report success in the years-long push to modernize plastic payments.

In a few short years, Starbucks became one of the most noteworthy companies in mobile payments. These 11 decisions are the key ingredients in its strategy.

A pending MasterCard "staged wallet" fee, set to take effect in June, is setting a new tone for the emerging payments landscape.

Apple's Passbook wallet is a blank canvas for developers of mobile payment apps. Some Passbook apps take a conventional approach to payments, and others put a more imaginative spin on what a mobile wallet can be.

Samsung and Visa will likely demonstrate the full potential of their contactless mobile payments alliance at this week’s unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S IV smartphone.