Online payments

Western Union Co. and Atlanta-based SunTrust Bank have launched a global money transfer and bill payment service that will also allow customers to send money to load prepaid cards and pay bills at more than 1,500 bank agent location in the southeastern U.S.

Chinese E-payment provider Alipay and microblogging platform provider Weibo have developed an online payment system that enables users to buy products through communication with acquaintances, Alipay announced Jan. 7.

A pair of companies has launched services on Twitter that allow users to transact in Bitcoin across the microblogging site. And while Twitter has been selective of what companies facilitate payments in the past, the social networking giant hasn't yet touched these Bitcoin services.

Acquirers say they're signing up new merchants and retaining established customers with the help of software that bundles payment services.

The new year got off to a mixed start for virtual currency, with regulators in Asia clamping down on Bitcoin and gaming company Zynga embracing the emerging payments option.

The Target Corp. data breach just before the holiday shopping season triggered another round of rhetoric on the merits and shortcomings of chip-based cards. But the breach's direct effect on merchant EMV plans is largely up in the air.

Chirpify founder and CEO Chris Teso's five o'clock shadow and plaid shirt identify him as one of the new breed of payments entrepreneurs. His advice to newcomers: be fearless.

Google has made more progress by splintering its payments strategy in 2013 than it did when it tried to provide a single, unified product.

The payments industry is full of big ideas that haven't always found the right audience. As we enter 2014, a few trends are bringing new relevance to some older technologies.

TipperCoin is attempting to combine two concepts that have faced strong headwinds in the past year: digital currency and Twitter-based payments.

Emerging payments developers shouldn't feel forced to place all their bets on one platform or another. In the shorter term, successful future models of banking will be hybrids.

Sony Corp., which launched its new PlayStation 4 video game console last month, is updating and promoting the payment options consumers can use with its new and older PlayStation systems.

Small Business Payments Co. recently launched its WorkBench cash management platform, allowing businesses to make credit card and e-check payments, with other features planned for the future.

Flipkart Payment Gateway Services has launched a consumer-facing version of PayZippy, allowing shoppers in India to make secure online transactions with numerous merchants.

Loop Commerce is attempting to stake its position in e-commerce by offering payments technology that provides a gift's recipient some control over what is being purchased.

PayPal's corporate parent eBay has completed its $800 million acquisition of Braintree.

Oink, which was previously called Virtual Piggy, is ready to expand its youth-oriented online payments business to include merchants with a physical presence.

Epay, a prepaid product provider and distribution network, is now offering its digital gift card through PayPal's Digital Gift store, which launched in early December.

E-commerce site Snapdeal will launch its own payment gateway to serve Indian merchants and consumers within the next few months, aiming to reduce consumers' use of paper cash.

Swedish payment company Klarna has agreed to purchase German payment provider Sofort from Reimann Investors, Sofort's majority shareholder.