Mobile payments

Three weeks after completing a mobile payment development agreement with China Mobile, the China UnionPay card brand has signed on eight banks to launch a contactless mobile payment system in Shanghai.

After years of government and telco-backed testing of contactless mobile payments in France, a major bank is ready to provide a significant boost to the country's Near Field Communication project.

PayPal and its parent eBay each expect $20 billion in mobile commerce and payment volume this year, eBay CEO John Donahoe says.

Shopzilla, a technology company that manages a portfolio of shopping, product comparison and coupon websites, is expanding its mobile payments capabilities by acquiring startup Zappli.

Zapp, a new company allowing consumers to link their mobile phone numbers to their bank account to make peer-to-peer payments, announced its system will be built on Oracle technology.

Payvia is looking to burst through the traditional mobile funds transfer model in emerging markets by adding a wide range of digital services and new forms of content.

Tablet point of sale technology provider ShopKeep POS has hired Todd Lasher as vice president and general manager of its channel business.

Jumio's Mobile Consumer Habits study is grabbing headlines and laughs for revealing that 9% of U.S. adults admitted to using their smartphones during sex — but the survey's other findings have more serious implications for the future of mobile payments.

DeviceFidelity has chosen MoneyGram to be the money transfer provider for its moneto mobile wallet.

Prepaid card and technology provider InComm has launched an in-store digital sales program, allowing consumers to buy digital gift cards and other virtual items alongside physical ones at brick-and-mortar merchant locations.

Kipochi, an African online service launched this month, is looking for a way to connect the digital currency Bitcoin to M-Pesa, Kenya's widely-used mobile payments system.

Dubbed the "Athens of America" because it's rife with colleges and universities in the area, Boston is becoming a hub for tech startups as recent grads — and even dropouts — bring fresh perspective to the payments industry.

C-Sam Inc., Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd. and HyperSoft Co. Ltd. have jointly developed "Salon de Wallet," a mobile wallet for beauty salons in Japan.

Corethree Ltd. has developed a mobile wallet that allows drivers of electric vehicles in the U.K. to locate charging stations and pay through their smartphones.

Payments and marketing are getting closer than ever, and several companies are blurring the line between where the payment ends and where the pitch begins.

Google requires the early adopters who buy its Google Glass headset to purchase it using Google Wallet. What are the implications for Google's payments strategy?

Developers should consider incorporating rewards and other tools such as receipt tracking in new mobile payment applications to promote broad adoption.

With the summer driving season in full swing, Shell Oil Products U.S. is attempting to boost the appeal of its branded payment cards.

The Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), a mobile payments initiative created by major retailers, will use technology from FIS to speed processing and provide access to accounts at a large range of financial institutions.

The payment processor Global Payments Inc. will offer its U.S. merchant customers an iPad point of sale system from ShopKeep POS.