Economy

Isis, the carrier-run mobile payments venture, plans to take its system nationwide this year. The initiative, which was formed by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA, has been testing its contactless payment technology in Salt Lake City and Austin since October.

Payment Alliance International, an ISO and ATM deployer, has signed an agreement with BB&T Corp., a financial-services holding company, to brand more than 130 Rite Aid Corp. ATMs in the Atlanta area.

While many people think of Bitcoin as a currency, Jaron Lukasiewicz, CEO and co-founder of Coinsetter, says Bitcoin should be thought of more as a payments infrastructure, allowing quick, inexpensive funds transfer. But for Bitcoin to thrive, banks must agree with this perspective.

A new self-regulatory organization for crypto-currencies could do a lot to advance the industry, but risks becoming co-opted by the government and undermining the core value proposition of digital cash.

Leaders in emerging payments and virtual currency have formed a committee to establish a self-regulating body to ensure regulatory compliance as the marketplace changes.

Total Merchant Services is expanding north of the border. The Woodland Hills, Calif.-based ISO has hired a veteran of the Canadian acquiring business to head a new Toronto office.

Bitcoin, a decentralized virtual currency, has been declared illegal in Thailand. Members of the Foreign Exchange Administration and Policy Department made the determination at a meeting on July 29 in the Southeastern Asian country, according to a Bitcoin exchange operator in attendance.

ISOs and agents believe they can close more deals when they view the world through their clients’ eyes.

Payments industry veteran Tom Dolan will head the new Canadian office for Total Merchant Services, the independent sales organization announced today.

In the crowded mobile point of sale market, One Step Retail Solutions is making a name for itself by providing its Teamwork Retail software to rap artist Jay-Z for his Rocawear clothing stores.

India's consumers have everything they need to move away from cash—they're just waiting for the right catalyst, according to Visa's Sam Shawki.

Merchant Customer Exchange, a mobile wallet initiative that involves more than 50 retailers, is coming into focus. Though the one-year-old MCX has yet to release a product, it has attracted key people and partnerships that demonstrate to the payments industry that it is a serious contender.

A recap of the informed opinions (and the discussions they generated) on BankThink this week.

Viableware wants to differentiate its restaurant payment system by targeting high-end establishments with technology that doesn't erase the personal interaction between patrons and staff.

Twenty-two states have recently enacted data privacy rules or laws, and more legislation and regulation appear inevitable, says a security vendor.

Our contributors have presented their ideas on how tomorrow's banks can offer customers value and make money for the long haul. Now it's time to share yours.

Fortumo Ltd., which provides mobile payments through carrier phone bills, has entered agreements with China Unicom and China Telecom.

Groupon has modified its Breadcrumb POS mobile payments app to allow it to handle payments even when the wireless signal cuts out. It was no easy feat.

Visa CEO Charlie Scharf responded to the retailer-backed Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX)'s recent moves in mobile payments by pointing to the growth of Visa's V.me digital wallet, its penetration among merchants, and the fact that MCX's wallet still hasn't launched.

Mobile wallet provider Lemon Inc. has begun providing the payment function that had been missing from its mobile wallet.