Economy

Data thieves are building diversified portfolios, generating varied revenue streams based on the type of consumer credentials they can compromise through their breaches.

New software called Pegasus, like the winged horse of Greek mythology, helps ISOs control just about every aspect of their relationships with merchants.

Square has added and removed many features over its few short years as it refines its mobile-pay pitch in an effort to win more merchants. Its removal of the Square Wallet app was the latest of many revisions to the company's strategy.

Loyalty programs can be a challenge because in Brazil's anti-coupon culture. Pizza Hut is overcoming this hurdle with a combined loyalty and prepaid card.

The promise of Bitcoin is to never have to trust anyone, but one of the field's most prominent startups wants to let its users reach out and touch someone.

EMV-chip cards might not become ubiquitous in United States until 2018 because no one’s teaching merchants and consumers about the technology, according to a new report from Javelin Strategy & Research.

As more merchants demand mobile technology to accept payments in their stores, vendors like Total System Services are varying their offerings.

Isis, the mobile wallet venture of AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, has activated an average of 20,000 new mobile wallets per day in the past 30 days.

Square has removed its cloud-based Wallet app from the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores, apparently to make room for a new app called Square Order.

The car phone may be a relic of a bygone era, but more automobile and parking companies are looking for ways to put the mobile phone back in the driver's seat. And in many cases, payments are making the connection.

The explosion of startups developing payment tools hasn't ceased, and simple consumer mobile wallets are starting to make way for products suitable for large corporations.

Longtime friends and business partners Alex Charfen and Price Givens have formally launched BitcoinWallet.com, which they plan to market as a social, consumer-friendly and transparent digital currency wallet.

Alternative lenders, once considered competitive threats, are becoming allies for some banks. BBVA Compass now pitches its clients on OnDeck loans in the hopes of better retaining small-business customers.

The Target data breach has sparked more awareness of card security issues, but nearly 90% of consumers responding to a survey don’t know much about the EMV-chip cards.

While mobile wallet providers try to simplify payments by taking plastic cards out of the equation, others are looking further into the future to an era where everything is connected.

American Express Co. is ready for its new small business program, OptBlue, to take the spotlight after several months of testing and a soft launch with acquirers.

As mobile devices become more integral to consumers’ lives, they present more opportunities for interaction with banks, payment companies and merchants. Here are a few companies that are pushing mobile technology into the future.

Bitcoin ATM provider Robocoin is touting its ATMs as bank branches after launching an online banking platform, Robocoin Bank.

Facebook's payment system has processed $3 billion in transactions for developers, with 100 of its developers making over $1 million a year through Facebook.

Value-added products and services may offer ISOs an opportunity to increase profits, but only with the right sales pitch.