Loyalty and rewards

Card marketing and technology company Dynamics launched a new game-based rewards system that card issuers can use with traditional plastic cards, with Key Bank among the first issuers to offer the program to consumers.

DoubleBeam is using electronic checks in its mobile payment system to cut merchants' costs on interchange.

The Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) is testing a loyalty program that ties user preferences and special offers to transit payment cards, a move that's also designed to shift rider volume from peak times.

Card marketing and production company Arroweye believes issuers are sitting on a ton of user data that can be used to quickly distribute personalized cards that carry pinpoint marketing messages.

The launch of PayPal's revamped mobile app is a coming out party for the eBay unit to prove it's laid the foundation to be a serious offline payments player by employing strategies that differ greatly from how it achieved success as an e-commerce payments scheme.

Target has emerged as a leader in store-branded debit cards. The goal of such cards is to use data analytics and discounts to cement customers’ loyalty.

The concept of using the payments stream to promote donations is compelling because it provides an easy way to link everyday consumer payments with charitable giving.

The demise of PerkStreet, a startup that offered generous cash back on debit card purchases, illustrates how the business is changing. Interchange-funded rewards are out; merchant-funded perks are in.

MasterCard Inc. has launched its first debit card in Latin America for high-income customers.

Google reportedly plans to discontinue allowing consumers to use its mobile wallet for contactless loyalty and gift card redemption, the latest in a series of changes since Google Wallet's launch.

Honey, which obtains coupon codes for consumers who shop online, plans to use its data management and analytic tools to enable merchants to offer coupons directly to Honey users in real time.

To create effective mobile payments products, developers must treat merchants and consumers as separate customer segments that have of inextricably-linked needs.

Despite the warnings, cell phones are safe to use at gas pumps — and ExxonMobil Corp. aims to prove this in testing a mobile payment app for smartphone users in Nashville, Tenn.

The Dunkin' Donuts mobile payment app is "a continuing driver of sales" for the company, as more than 3 million customers have downloaded the app through the second quarter of 2013.

American Express Co. will be discontinuing its Deals and Offers program on the Serve digital wallet on August 12.

Cardlytics, which provides card-linked marketing technology, has hired Jim Morgan to be its chief financial officer, a new position.

Shopkick now allows consumers to make purchases directly from its mobile app, which rewards consumers for visiting its merchant clients in-person.

C-Sam Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. and HyperSoft Co. Ltd. have jointly developed "Salon de Wallet," a mobile wallet for beauty salons in Japan.

Cloud payment processor i2c Inc. and Heartland Payment Systems have teamed to provide prepaid card processing services. Their first collaboration is to add features to the National Restaurant Association’s Edge prepaid card program.

Developers should consider incorporating rewards and other tools such as receipt tracking in new mobile payment applications to promote broad adoption.