Mobile payments

As Apple Pay crossed the 15-month mark, a new report suggests consumer awareness and usage of the mobile wallet are falling, despite robust support from banks and an exponential increase in the merchants that can accept Near Field Communication payments.

Visa has accumulated a 9.99% stake in Square, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, giving a boost to the mobile point of sale company, which has faced challenges recently.

Much of the growth in wearable technology is happening without an eye to enabling payments. This is prompting many companies to find a way to add payment capabilities to wearables without forcing users to buy an entirely new device.

The app ecosystem has enabled payments to blend almost invisibly into the background of many cash-based services, such as ride-sharing and food delivery, but sometimes there is a need to let payments take center stage.

Most consumers, when dining, still enjoy the simplicity of dropping cash on the table than using something newer, like an EMV card or a mobile wallet, even when those payment forms are becoming more commonplace in other stores.

The smartwatch revolution didn't begin with Apple, and the early adopters of wearables may not want to upgrade just to add payments. Fit Pay Inc. has a plan to meet this audience halfway.

Visa is rolling out a new transaction-notification service service today through the application program interface-based Visa Developer Platform the network unveiled last week.

PayPal technology exec James Barrese will leave the company April 1, according to an SEC filing.

Hong Kong's status as an iconic financial capital stands in contrast to its relatively lackluster record for technology. The city is regarded as below average as a hub for startups, and MasterCard places Hong Kong in the middle of the pack for mobile payments readiness.

Fit Pay in San Francisco has launched a campaign on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter to raise funds for the final production of a payment-enabled wristband developed for Pebble Time smartwatches.