Economy

The typical online and in-store checkout puts all payment options on equal footing. A few payment methods cut part or all of the checkout — and potentially cut off other payment options in the process.

Celltick is bringing its mobile payments coupon service to countries such as Indonesia and Russia — moves that confront some cultural hurdles for it to overcome.

The Metrolink rail system in Southern California is offering commuters a "smart" paper ticket as part of the transit access pass, or TAP, smart card system operating on Los Angeles buses and trains since 2007.

Iyzi Payments has raised $1.4 million from a group of undisclosed angel investors, and it will use the funds to build a new payments platform in Turkey.

Check, formerly PageOnce, is adding an expedited payment service to its mobile app.

Online ticket payment provider Picatic has the business model of a museum—its customers are expected to pay, but the amount is at least partly up to the patron.

Pindrop announced Wednesday that it's raised $11 million of Series A funding — the round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and Citi Ventures.

Discover's’ arrangement to facilitate in-store PayPal transactions illustrates the card brand’s strategy of serving as a multifaceted utility in the payments system.

Too many small merchants operate websites that are difficult to navigate on mobile devices, and they haven’t upgraded point-of-sale terminals to accept mobile payments.

New nonbank companies entering the payments industry should be subject to the same regulatory oversight and transparency requirements as their financial institution peers, according to a report released by the American Bankers Association.

Electronic payments company Ixaris, which has about 20 corporate clients using its Ixaris Payments Server, will target corporate prepaid card-issuing financial institutions with the same technology.

Mobile payments companies and retailers will forge more partnerships where they retain customer identities, making it unnecessary to re-enter credit-card information, said John Collison, co-founder of Stripe Inc.

Stockholm-based iZettle is bringing its mobile card reader into Mexico.

Many Bitcoin startups face the expensive and daunting task of obtaining multiple state money transmitter licenses. But these businesses could drum up enough support to create a more streamlined and affordable licensing process.

NetSpend stockholders voted to approve the prepaid card marketer's acquisition by Total System Services, clearing the way for the payments processor to complete the deal in mid-2013.

Online restaurant reservation provider OpenTable Inc. has acquired mobile payment startup JustChalo Inc. for $11 million.

Wendy's International Inc. is beefing up the payment functions of its My Wendy's mobile app, which furthers the company's strategy and plays on other quick service retailer's success with mobile payments.

Amazon.com Inc. added a new payments system called the Amazon Birthday Gift, which allows users to send Amazon.com gift cards with birthday messages to friends on Facebook and allow other friends to contribute more to the card's balance.

Starbucks now receives over 10% of its U.S. transactions as mobile payments, and over 30% of its transactions are made with the mobile or plastic version of its Starbucks Card accounts.

The Western States Acquirers Association and the Electronic Transactions Association are offering scholarships that could pay for 10 qualified candidates to take the ETA’s Certified Payments Professional test.