Mobile payments

Google Wallet users can now redeem and manage their gift cards through technology from the prepaid gift card provider Blackhawk Network.

Apple is expected to launch a mobile wallet as part of its next iPhone, and the company has already trained its userbase to be active mobile purchasers.

The Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a mobile wallet initiative led by merchants including Walmart and Target, is testing its technology under the brand CurrentC with plans for a full rollout next year.

The telco-driven Isis mobile wallet will now be called Softcard, a name chosen to avoid confusion and association with a militant group in the Middle East that is often referred to as "ISIS."

Roximity is working to differentiate itself from other beacon manufacturers by increasing the lifespan and security of its devices.

For Apple, the timing couldn't be worse to launch a mobile wallet. Mobile wallets can be a tough sell for many consumers, and brand image is a key element in winning their trust.

Apple Inc. plans to turn its next iPhone into a mobile wallet through a partnership with major payment networks, banks and retailers, according a person familiar with the situation.

Beer and wine are often used to lower inhibitions about anything new. Why should payment technology be any different? Many companies that manufacture or sell alcohol are at the forefront of payments innovation.

Drync, a wine-related software developer, is using Google Wallet to distill the complex process of shopping for wine from a mobile app.

First Data India is leveraging Roam's mobile platform to launch its own branded chip-and-PIN mobile card reader in the country.

Imagine arriving at an international airport and one of the first greetings you get is from your bank, welcoming you to the new country and saying where to find free ATMs.

Amazon's launch of a mobile card reader should force many mobile point of sale companies to reevaluate whether their own offerings are distinct enough to ensure their survival.

Square is seeking to gain about $200 million in funding, with part of that coming from the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, according to CNBC.

Square Cash, a person-to-person payment service Square launched in October 2013, has been redesigned to become more useful as an app-based product.

Convenience store and gas station operator Mapco is using PayPal-funded mobile payments to keep motorists from straying to competitors' gas pumps.

Sequent has patented a payment system that allows merchants to simultaneously accept several types of cards with a single tap of a mobile device at the physical point of sale, with the goal of making mobile wallets more user-friendly.

Coin's ongoing public relations fiasco illustrates that startups—especially those that have crowdfunded money from prospective customers—need to be transparent about any hiccups in the development of their technology.

Swisscard AECS AG, the Zurich-based joint venture of Credit Suisse AG and American Express, has implemented Entersekt's 3D secure-based mobile security system, Transakt.

The Medical research nonprofit Enduring Hearts got a quick boost from a mobile payments engine that allows consumers to donate while making purchases at a network of retailers.

The much-anticipated Coin, a programmable magnetic-stripe card that can store multiple payment accounts, is getting another rush of attention as the company pushes the product's shipping date to next year for new orders.