Mobile payments

Finding Apple Pay-accepting merchants in the U.K. isn't quite the needle-in-the-haystack proposition that it is in the U.S., but it's still enough of a challenge to raise concerns among Apple's partners during the mobile wallet's launch in the country.

First Data has acquired a San Diego-based digital card distribution firm called Transaction Wireless Inc. (TWI), a company which, paired with First Data's 2014 purchase of Gyft, rounds out the company's gift card strategy.

Apple Inc. is making the U.K. the first market outside the U.S. for its digital-wallet system as the company fights for a place in the electronic-payments industry.

Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat have recently started to offer or test e-commerce and payments opportunities, and online stores need to pay close attention given the potential size of the consumer base.

Barclays' absence has been a major issue surrounding Apple Pay's long awaited move into the U.K., though with a formal announcement of Apple's mobile payment play coming as early as July 14, word of the bank's reversal started to circulate online.

American telco company IDT Corporation has launched a direct-to-mobile-wallet service to Kenya and Niger through its international money transfer service, Boss Revolution, entering markets where mobile payments have been successful in the past.

After boosting security to accommodate Indian government demands, Uber is again going to be accepting payment cards for its services in India. It will accept payment cards starting this week, following a nine-month suspension.

Business members of Best Price, which Walmart operates as in India, will have the ability to make payments via M-Pesa’s mobile wallet service.

Zapp is racking up bank and merchant participants for its mobile payment venture in the U.K., filling the gap left by the telco-led Weve initiative and providing scale as Apple Pay launches.

Gemalto has entered an agreement to provide payment-capable wristbands that will allow tap-and-ride capabilities and fitness readings for transit riders in Wuhan, China.

In an attempt to encourage people to use MasterCard through Apple Pay, the card brand will have people at the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati, giving prizes to "the vast majority" of consumers who use Apple Pay with a MasterCard card.

The PayPal of today has come a long way from the 1998 startup that enabled people to transfer funds between Palm Pilots. As the company nears its spinoff from eBay, it is continuing its acquisitive streak with some transformative purchases.

Now the CEO of the mobile point of sale provider ShopKeep, Norm Merritt previously headed the global outsourcing company iQor and brings with him a few ideas about how to make big money by serving small merchants.

The new Amex Express Checkout service bears a passing resemblance to rival products like Visa Checkout, MasterPass and PayPal. But that similarity is only skin deep.

Digital money transfer provider Xoom has introduced an instant mobile reload service that allows consumers to send airtime credit online from the U.S. to prepaid mobile phones abroad.

MasterCard's decision to do a 500-person trial of facial recognition for payment authentication next month may seem like a bold move in security, but it's really taking aim at friction.

QR codes, a relatively old technology, are back in the spotlight thanks to a consortium of retailers led by Walmart and Target that plan to use the codes in their CurrentC payment technology.

Chase Card Services has rebranded and redesigned its small business management mobile app, previously called Jot, to Ink from Chase.

Mobile banking technology provider Monitise Plc has informed its shareholders that Visa Europe will reduce its investment in the company, but will complete a three-year commercial agreement to develop services and finish products.

Apple's customers not only love buying Apple devices, they also love using Apple devices to spend more money at online and mobile commerce sites.