Online payments

Transfast, an international remitter, is launching a money transfer service in Mexico to allow recipients to collect funds in a bank account within minutes.

Payveris is creating a new merchants solutions unit to connect banks, credit unions, consumers and merchants within the digital payments process.

Online cash payment provider Ukash is partnering with Numny, an electronic payment provider, to expand options for consumers in Saudi Arabia.

Virtual Piggy's Oink, a payment platform for teens, will become a payment option for users of Smilegate, a Korean gaming company.

TIO Networks has acquired the assets of VeriFone Commerce Solutions Inc., a Web-based bill payment services provider also known as ChargeSmart.

As consumers extend their spending across the globe, the various hurdles they face are becoming targets of innovation.

MasterCard is putting its digital payment efforts in the spotlight. The Purchase, N.Y. card network is also adding to the number of non-payment services it offers to digitally focused companies.

While banks continue to be optimistic about the potential growth possibilities of mobile photo bill pay, in which customers pay invoices by taking pictures of them, trade groups and imaging experts note the technology is not as straightforward as mobile check deposit.

MasterCard's digital wallet is currently live in 10 markets and the company has plans to add four more countries this year in a push to strengthen the card network's capabilities in an increasingly digital world.

Facebook Inc. is ending a service that lets friends send digital gift cards to each other, as the social-networking service revamps how users can buy goods and services.

Franklin University, a large private university in Ohio, will use ACI Worldwide to support the college's online tuition and fee payments plan.

Visa will be counting on its bank partners to spread the message about its revamped Visa Checkout to consumers.

Visa, which just revamped its digital payment system, will introduce secure "tokens" in September to replace the 16-digit account number for online payments.

Facebook, which hired PayPal president David Marcus to run its Messenger business last month, has shed some light on how Marcus' expertise will play a role.

Nearly 80 percent of U.S. consumers responding to an online poll said they are aware that they could be using digital wallets, but not nearly as many actually do.

MasterCard is planting its roots deeper into mobile commerce as a growing number of rivals try to edge it out of the market.

Red Pocket Mobile, a wireless company that offers contract-free phone and Internet service, is using Zipmark to allow customers to use digital checks to top up their accounts.

Nintendo's Wii U video game console, which has a Near Field Communication reader built into its controller, is finally putting that technology to use to accept payment cards.

San Francisco-based payments startup Stripe has launched in Australia and is reportedly testing its technology in Scandinavian countries.

There's still a lot of paper used in transactions, and document automation company DocuSign's scaling up in an attempt to grab a share of paper-reducing efforts in several markets.