Mobile payments

When Cumberland Farms said this month that it had processed $1 billion worth of gas via its decoupled debit card over the course of nearly three years, it was the latest example of the power of the decoupled debit card. And yet, other than Target's RED card, decoupled debit has barely moved beyond the convenience and petroleum segment.

MasterCard and mobile commerce provider P97 are collaborating to support a service that helps consumers find and make mobile payments at gas stations and convenience stores.

A tiny South Carolina bank has learned the hard lesson of countless failed Silicon Valley startups: when you swing for the fences on a transformative new technology, sometimes you strike out.

Like everywhere else on the planet, African retailers are struggling with the mobile payment chicken-and-egg dilemma — how can they accept mobile payments if consumers aren't using the technology?

Visa Europe is collaborating with Central Saint Martins College to determine if the true innovation in wearable computing is less about the "Internet" and more about the "things."

Starbucks Corp. named Adobe Systems Inc. executive Gerri Martin-Flickinger to the newly created role of chief technology officer as the chain increasingly focuses on selling coffee through its mobile-phone application.

Gas stations have had a complicated relationship with mobile wallets. Pump hardware is notoriously difficult to upgrade, and besides that, many consumers believe that it's a fire hazard to use their phones while fueling up.

Since mobile app purchases are of little use to retailers if consumers bail on the transaction, technology vendors are keener than ever to cure 'cart abandonment.'

The gaming market is evolving and becoming more lucrative by the year. As developers continually aim to recreate new ways to monetize game content, mobile payment operators hold a unique position in this profitable market.

The Miami Heat basketball team is joining the mobile and contactless payment movement by offering fans a QR code-based mobile wallet system to make food, souvenir or ticket purchases from a mobile phone throughout the team's American Airlines Arena.

Twitter Inc. named co-founder Jack Dorsey as chief executive officer, betting its co-founder and former leader will be able to revive fortunes at a social-media company that failed to impress investors following its 2013 initial public offering.

Expanding upon an existing partnership, cloud-based e-commerce provider Bigcommerce and mobile card acceptance provider Square Inc. will offer retailers a new way to manage inventory from physical and online stores.

Philip Campbell, founder of London-based startup Kerv, has produced a smooth, shiny piece of wearable tech that aims to tap into the growing market for contactless payments.

Apple Pay has been out for a year, so many of its partners have had time to reflect on the various issues it has faced since launch. Bank and credit union executives shared their experiences at SourceMedia's 2015 PayThink event at the end of September.

As quick-service restaurants increase their support for buy-online-pickup-in-store—as Starbucks did last week and as Taco Bell is doing this week—they are pushing customer convenience and reduced lines.

In Canada, there is no Apple Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay. But there is a Royal Bank of Canada mobile wallet, despite the bank being challenged to explain why it has been so aggressive on the mobile scene.

Twitter's goal of becoming a payments engine has gotten a boost, as Bigcommerce will support Twitter's 'buy buttons.'

A year after its launch, Apple Pay has infiltrated numerous banks and merchants and two generations of Apple handsets. But its actual usage isn't close to living up to the hype.

Like most financial institutions, First Financial Credit Union was not an Apple Pay launch partner. And because of that, it was able to deploy Apple's mobile wallet with just $2,500 in marketing costs.

Pushing for more businesses to convert to electronic payments rather than using paper checks, the Remittance Coalition plans to have a working model in place next month for a business-to-business payment directory and network.