The Olympics and other attractions are not just proving grounds for athletes — stadiums, amusement parks and concert halls provide the perfect conditions to test new payment technologies.

With payments players studying closely every move Apple Inc. makes, reports out July 27 that the computer giant will buy biometrics developer AuthenTec Inc. sparked speculation about the potential payments capabilities of the iPhone 5.

Many high-tech approaches to payments are short-lived. A lucky few get a second chance to disrupt the market.

Developing a mobile wallet for consumers is one thing. Getting those consumers interested and educated about how the wallet works and why they should use phones for payments is an entirely different matter.

The days of the add-on mobile card reader may be numbered, as recent developments around software-based approaches gain strong momentum.

Google's decision to add Google Wallet to its new Nexus 7 tablet could break the limitations its mobile payment system has faced in reaching consumers. 

PayPal's decision to buy its mobile-pay tech partner Card.io sheds light on how the smaller company's technology is shaping the world of mobile payments.

M-Via, which offers a mobile checking account called Boom, said July 18 that it closed a $17 million financing round led by Digicel Group Ltd. M-Via is also changing its name to Boom Financial.

Shopkick's mobile rewards system has relied so far on small devices retailers install at their doors to signal to an app that a customer has visited in person. But for a giant like Macy's, those little devices can add up to a big headache.

Commuters on New York’s busy Metro-North Railroad won’t have to wait in line to buy train tickets if a mobile-ticketing test taking place this summer proves to be successful for the conductors who check thousands of tickets a day.

LevelUp is eliminating one of the fees merchants pay to accept cards through its mobile-payment system, which uses QR codes to access pre-enrolled debit or credit cards when shopping.

At first, Google seemed to have all of the necessary ingredients for a mobile wallet and Isis had the uphill climb of convincing banks to agree to a system designed by a group of telcos. Isis now has several top banks firmly behind it, but it faces many challenges as well.

For years, the payments industry has been waiting for Apple to disrupt the market with a payment-capable iPhone. Some are finally getting sick of the wait.

The Twitter account @NeedADebitCard shames people who post photos of their debit cards online — but as anti-fraud systems advance, how much danger is there from these photos?

Mobile devices can be used to add a second factor of authentication for bank accounts, but they can also be an easy factor for fraudsters to misuse.

"A burglar cannot rob 300 homes in one night, but a cybercriminal can attack 300 mobile devices at a time," said Dr. Markus Jakobsson, principal scientist, consumer security at PayPal.

Citigroup is testing new mobile payment features with its U.S. commercial cardholders in anticipation of a global rollout.

To hear Dan Wagner tell it, one would think the CEO of London-based mPowa was ready to enter the ring for a prizefight against all comers in the world of mobile card-based payments.

Almost a year ago, the telecommunications companies backing the Isis mobile wallet venture were clear that they would rely on Near Field Communication. But as technology advances, there may be wisdom in adopting an alternative.

Banks should be in the forefront of a payments world moving toward mobile commerce, according to Monitise CEO Alastair Lukies.