Mobile payments

Adding a payment mechanism to online advertising is becoming a popular way to close the conversion gap between mobile shopping and purchasing.

As mobile payments fuel financial services in countries where traditional banking infrastructure is underwhelming, many in the payments world applaud.

Online payment processor Allied Wallet has joined the Saxo Payments Banking Marketplace, allowing it to immediately accept and settle payments globally in multiple currencies at a lower cost.

Following up on First Data's launch of the Clover Mini mobile point of sale device, TruBeacon has placed software in the Clover App Market that will link data from the payment terminal over a network of multiple retail locations.

Visa and MasterCard are putting more resources than ever behind their tokenization services as they push to improve their standing in the overall digital payment market.

Mobile payments are hot. Industry insiders both hope and fear new technology will upend reigning retail payment systems such as Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Mobile card acceptance devices have changed a lot in recent years. They are now much more complex than the simple plug-in card readers many are familiar with. And their evolution is far from over.

Visa is trying to accelerate the rollout of new digital payment services by making it easier for companies to connect with each other, but its terms may undermine the business models of larger tech companies.

What good is having a mobile point of sale (mPOS) device if retailers glue it to the countertop? In a new IHL report that tries to size up the mPOS market, IHL points out that most merchants are happy to ignore the mobility inherent in their new technology.

Banks are becoming interested in behavioral biometrics, or turning a consumer's unique physical handling of a mobile device into a security profile, but the more appealing use case could be for payment acceptance.

Banks are choosing to enable payment functionality through third party “Pay” wallet offerings in most part, and not their own mobile apps. And these are the same internet and technology companies banks themselves perceive to be their biggest threats.

Tyro Payments, of Australia, will integrate its point of sale technology with the in-restaurant ordering and payment system made by Canada's TouchBistro.

Most passwords rely too much on pet names, anniversary dates and other easily-guessed concepts. But replacing those words with pictures could provide a substantial improvement in security.

Forget about Bitcoin or other digital currencies. Consumers already have an alternative to cash – reward points – and the fast development of mobile wallets will enable them to spend these points widely.

The most striking thing about Apple Pay's recent loyalty announcement is that it included no loyalty program for Apple Pay.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson has made several moves in the payments industry over the years, and the latest puts him on Square's team.

The nature of fraud in the U.S. is about to change radically, as fraudsters adapt to EMV security at the point of sale by shifting their attention to e-commerce channels. Accompanying this shift are changes to the consumer's role in spotting fraud — but this could be as much a burden as it is a benefit if banks and merchants are not careful.

Android Pay's announcement lacked the jaw-dropping excitement of last fall’s Apple Pay release. As you can tell from the name, the Android Pay playbook is remarkably similar to Apple Pay.

Starbucks says it will offer its mobile order-and-pay application to customers at stores in 21 more states in the southern and central U.S.

Ecobank Transnational Inc. and MasterCard have agreed to promote electronic payments throughout Central and West Africa, accelerating use of payment cards for consumers and mobile card readers for merchants.