Bank of America Corp. is looking to hire new executives to lead its retail online and mobile-banking efforts, including those for mobile payments, the company confirmed to PaymentsSource.

Financial-technology provider COCC, formerly Connecticut On-Line Computer Center Inc., is working with mFoundry Inc. to provide mobile-banking services to its bank clients, the companies announced March 28.

The Smurfs may have an important security lesson for banks and credit card networks getting into mobile payments.

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. has joined the interbank funds-transfer service National Payments Corp. of India launched last fall. The Mumbai-based bank launched the service on March 24 for the bank’s customers across the country, an official at the institution tells PaymentsSource.

American Express Co., going against its image as a brand for the elite, is launching a digital wallet that would make it the payment choice for the masses — in person, online and in mobile.

Mobile-payments company Monitise PLC is testing a service targeted at unbanked consumers in Nigeria that enables users to transfer funds with their cell phones.

Despite the heightened activity around mobile payments, there are still too many unresolved questions for the payment form to have mainstream success this year, one analyst contends.

Though Google Inc. has yet to deliver on a true near-field communication payment phone, it is rumored to be working with key players on the acceptance side.

Ukash, a United Kingdom-based firm that sells prepaid vouchers for online shopping, believes a new free Apple Inc. iPhone application finally can help it break into the United States market after establishing its payment method in more than 50 other countries.

With the emergence of smartphones, the next evolution in point-of-sale transaction processing has begun, fueled by devices not designed for the POS environment yet becoming increasingly popular nonetheless.

Union Bank of India Ltd. is partnering with Nokia India Pvt. Ltd. to launch a mobile-based payment service, a spokesperson for the Mumbai-based bank tells PaymentsSource.

Manchester, N.H.-based Bellwether Community CU has rolled out a new mobile banking service provided by NCR Corp., one of the first credit unions to use the NCR mobile banking solution.

Diners at Field of Greens and VooDoo BBQ & Grill may receive discount coupons and eventually may pay for purchases through Mobibucks Corp.’s mobile marketing and payment service under a deal Mobibucks announced with the two restaurants March 21.

First Data Corp. is rolling out a mobile-coupon program for merchants called mVoucher that uses 2-D barcodes and text messages, the Atlanta-based processor announced March 22 at the International CTIA Wireless convention in Orlando.

FreeScore LLC now offers an iPhone app that consumers can use to receive their credit scores and calculate mortgage rates.

T8 Webware said March 21 it is offering new mobile capabilities for its card personalization software over Apple’s iPad.

Allied First Bancorp Inc. of Oswego, Ill., is using technology from VSoft Corp. for remote deposit capture services, the companies announced March 21.

Vivotech Inc. has launched a new software suite called Vivonfc to manage payment systems that use Near Field Communication chips, the company announced March 21.

While many bankers expect Apple Inc. to help bring mobile payments into the mainstream by developing its own system for the iPhone, the consumer electronics giant could also have the same effect with its advertisements.

Zong Inc. said March 17 that its mobile carrier billing service is now available for video game consoles, interactive television services, mobile websites and other channels.