Economy

Credit and debit card payments at vending machines could present a whole new realm of opportunity for independent sales organizations.

Credit and debit card payments at vending machines could present a whole new realm of opportunity for independent sales organizations.

In its digital payments strategy, American Express is placing more bets on cash. The card network plans to add a free cash reload option for its Serve prepaid digital wallet, reducing its reliance on Green Dot's MoneyPak reload cards. Amex is also adding several features that broaden the functions of the Serve account, and plans a $1 monthly fee that can be waived with direct deposits.

Visa, MasterCard and American Express are seeking ways to replace account numbers for digital payments. As they research possibilities, they can learn from the many existing and developing technologies that already accomplish much of what the card networks want.

An ISO based in Southern California is using LeafPresenter point-of-sale tablets to differentiate itself from competitors and save money for merchants.

The original iPhone revolutionized consumer technology and breathed life into the market for mobile payments — but the newest iPhone's most futuristic feature may signal a growing problem for banks and card networks.

MasterCard is adapting its rewards technology to better suit a world that's swimming in smartphones and abundant in app developers.

The payments industry often relies on ISOs and agents to disseminate news to merchants, so why should the swipe-fee lawsuit settlement play out any differently?

Visa, MasterCard and American Express introduced a proposed framework for new global standards that would replace traditional account numbers with a digital payment "token" for online and mobile transactions.

PCI services and merchant intelligence provider Sysnet Global Solutions is working with iScan Online, which specializes in security scanning of devices, to provide acquirers with new mobile security.

An ISO based in Southern California is using LeafPresenter point-of-sale tablets to differentiate itself from competitors and save money for merchants.

The PCI council continues to expand its reach, with the intent of remaining a strong guide for data security well into the future.

First Data has signed an extension of its merchant services partnership with Provident Bank, a $7.3 billion-asset bank that services central and northern New Jersey.

A few merchants may begin using fingerprint scans to authenticate electronic transactions within the next year, and the practice could spread significantly in three to four years, a vendor says

PayPal's $800 million purchase of Braintree is only the beginning. How PayPal decides to integrate the six-year-old processor could matter a lot to banks.

eBay's $800 million purchase of Braintree is the latest in a series of acquisitions that are steadily building PayPal into a powerhouse in mobile payments. Most of these acquisitions took place within the past two years.

Capital Access Network is cutting the time it takes for ISOs to secure small business capital for merchant clients by digitizing traditional channels with CAN Mobile Funder.

With Braintree's technology, PayPal would have a stronger pitch for retailers' processing business. By that same token, banks would have another reason to work with PayPal.

WorldPay US has entered an agreement to purchase Century Payments, building on a four-year partnership between the two payments companies.

PayPal’s parent company eBay has entered into an agreement to buy online payment processor Braintree for $800 million in cash, a deal that’s expected to close in the fourth quarter pending regulatory approvals.