Mobile payments

As computing devices get closer to the body and more Internet-connected, payment platforms will have to be flexible enough to work in a vast number of environments, according to PayPal's Joel Yarbrough.

The point of sale technology provider TouchBistro is partnering with Uber to provide free transportation service to restaurant patrons in Toronto.

A technology called "host card emulation" made a big splash when it became part of the Android operating system in late 2013, but 2014 marked the year in which the tech became a foundation for future mobile wallet development.

Mobile payments service provider Calpian released new growth figures for its Money-On-Mobile unit in India.

For MasterCard's Mung Ki Woo, the future of payments is an app that unlocks new consumer habits by literally unlocking their doors.

While many mobile wallet companies look to complement credit and debit card acceptance, South Africa's SnapScan is focused on merchants who accept only cash.

Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., will accept Apple Pay as a companion to its own contactless payment cards and wristbands.

MasterCard will host a series of hackathons in different countries to spot innovation in digital payments.

There is a lot of competition in mobile payments, and sometimes it takes an odd idea for a product to stand out. These banks, card networks and other companies dared to bring something new to the market, but only a few can claim the risk paid off.

Starbucks, an investor in Square, will not use Square's order-ahead app as the coffee chain pushes ahead with its own mobile ordering technology.

LevelUp, a mobile payments provider known for its playful office culture — and a CEO who prefers to be called a chief ninja — may need to mature as its competition gets serious.

The Royal Bank of Canada, an early adopter of wearable technology, is adding host card emulation (HCE) technology to the RBC Mobile App, enabling Android smartphone users to make contactless mobile payments through any carrier.

Apple is planning to take its new mobile payment system into the U.K. and other parts of Europe in the coming year, though its current fee structure for banks may not be as easy to export.

Bancroft & Associates has added Spindle's credit and debit card payment acceptance to its online property management payment platform.

White-label mobile payments and commerce provider Mozido LLC has acquired mobile wallet provider CorFire, which developed mobile wallets for retailers like Dunkin' Donuts, to fuel its global expansion.

For American Express' Nik Sathe, developers with no experience in the payments industry are among the best to hire.

A South African company called FlickPay wants to win over the country's retailers with a flexible fee structure for offering deals and loyalty programs through its smartphone app, but it operates in an increasingly crowded mobile payment market.

Intuit's Mint personal financial management site has rebranded the Check app, which the company purchased this year, to tie its payment capabilities to the Mint brand.

Rather than try to change consumers' behavior, Barclaycard is acting on research it conducted of 2,000 consumers who told the U.K. issuer what type of wearable payment device they'd prefer. Their preference: gloves.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Sprint Corp., alleging it illegally processed improper third-party billing charges – marking the first time the agency has pursued a telecommunications firm.