Online payments

In the Chinese payment processing space, which is dominated by government-controlled entities such as UnionPay, the dynamic of pursuing new customers is markedly different from in the U.S. This point was a key factor when investment firm TA Associates chose to invest in YeePay, a company with limited ambitions.

Flint Mobile is joining the many technology companies that are evolving from their roots as payment providers to become enablers of a broad range of services.

For the most part, big banks and trade groups have run the conversation on deploying a faster payment system in the U.S. But Nacha's recently proposed 8.2-cent fee for same-day Automated Clearing House payments has merchants taking notice.

The coffee chain announced plans on March 18 to begin testing delivery in New York and Seattle, with the iconic 102-story office tower serving as its Big Apple proving ground. In New York, customers will order through a Starbucks website and eventually transition to its mobile app.

The megabank-led clearXchange digital payment network, which now counts U.S. Bank as a participant, plans to use its considerable reach in the coming year to diversify its capabilities while also pushing for collaboration among other providers.

Purchase, N.Y.-based MasterCard is working with Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Itau Unibanco in establishing and operating an electronic payments network in the South American country.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s finance arm, which owns Alipay, plans to use a partnership structure to allow top management to maintain control of the company's board after an initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter.

As payment providers shift more of their operations online, they may still find a need for spoken communication with their clients — even when those clients also sell exclusively online.

Israeli payments technology provider Zooz has recently moved into the financial capitals of the world, opening offices in both New York City and London.

Intuit Inc. has dipped its toe in the payments pond often, and now the business software provider wants to make a bigger splash by enticing more merchants to use QuickBooks Online.

Sibling rivalry can be fierce. While Visa Europe pushes its own technology for online and mobile commerce — setting the stage for Apple Pay in the U.K. — its brother VocaLink is readying the launch of Zapp, a payment system that that cuts the card networks out of the equation by directing purchases through bank accounts.

The check may not be in the mail. Today’s consumer uses an average of three different payment methods each month, from online to mobile to walk-in and yes, even the occasional check, according to Seventh Annual Billing Household Survey from Fiserv.

Planet Payment is working with Pay.On to leverage its international gateway products.

Seeking a uniform process for card-not-present transactions in the Single Euro Payments Area throughout Europe, the European Payments Council has created a blueprint for an interoperable card and terminal infrastructure.

Few would dispute that the U.S. ought to move to a faster payment system. But the hurdles to modernizing the infrastructure are daunting, said participants in a panel at this week's Retail Banking 2015 conference.

Digital money transfer company Xoom is working with the bank HBL to enable instant deposits in more Pakistani bank accounts.

The retail services market is flooded with Web-based developer tools that allow small businesses with little tech expertise to develop payment capabilities. But to companies like vCita, these toolkits are still too hard to use.

PayPal will be an attractive payments partner and is open to new alliances after completing its spinoff from parent eBay Inc., PayPal's incoming chief executive Dan Schulman told investors.

A South African payments company has established a consumer-facing subsidiary in London to enable its worldwide expansion over the next few years.

Square hopes to broaden its reach with its core micro-merchant market by offering technology to tap the $1.6 trillion e-commerce market.