Mobile payments

The global push to expand financial inclusion takes many paths, based on the challenges—and unique market advantages—in countries where vast portions of the population lack access to modern banking services.

Corporate fleet card giant WEX is getting into the consumer market for the first time through a partnership with GasBuddy, an app that helps drivers find the nearest gas station with current fuel prices.

The task at hand for retail app developers is increasingly clear: Make it as easy as possible for consumers to pay through a mobile device.

This morning it was announced that Fiserv is to acquire UK mobile payments veteran Monitise for 70 million pounds ($88.72 million). This is quite a bargain considering that at its peak, Monitise was valued at around 2 billion pounds. But beyond the firesale price tag, what exactly does Fiserv get out of this?

So far, the use cases for digital payments from connected cars seem too specific to spark a widespread shift in consumer habits. But connected cars may yet prove to be drivers of change.

Due in part to the U.S.'s lackluster adoption of contactless cards, mobile wallets had a slow and difficult time gaining hold among consumers and merchants that were unfamiliar with the tap-and-pay process or didn't have the right technology. The opposite problem plagues Canada, where contactless cards are so widely used that mobile adds little value.

The financial institution-owned person-to-person network formally went live Monday, enabling direct transfer of funds across 30 U.S. FIs. There are a lot of questions around whether it can compete with the current kings of P-to-P — Venmo and PayPal — but Zelle may not be aiming to take them head-on just yet.

The bank-owned person-to-person network formally went live Monday, enabling direct transfer of funds across 30 U.S. financial institutions. There are a lot of questions around whether it can compete with the current kings of P-to-P — Venmo and PayPal — but Zelle may not be aiming to take them head-on just yet.

This morning the bank owned P-to-P network, Zelle, is formally going live, enabling direct transfer of funds across thirty U.S. financial institutions over the course of the next twelve months. There are a lot of questions around whether it can compete with the current kings of P-to-P — Venmo and its parent company PayPal — but Zelle may not be aiming to take them head-on just yet.

Grocery shopping may not seem conducive to e-commerce due to the category's massive cart sizes and perishable goods, but many companies are trying to put a digital spin on the process. Here are a few of the latest innovations.