Online 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.

The country's Federal Reserve banks have made clear that they want to see a much faster nationwide payments system within 10 years. Now comes the hard part: developing a plan to make that happen.

Online bill pay technology developed with small business users in mind is lacking. But new offerings could provide companies with greater functionality, while also helping financial institutions reduce risk and build stronger customer relationships.

Prepaid payment network Blackhawk is offering a selection of electronic gift codes at Coinstar's coin-counting kiosks.

Facebook has deployed a feature called Donate that allows people to contribute directly to nonprofits through the social networking site.

BillTrust will provide access to Open Scan Technologies' Order to Cash (O2C) services in an effort to increase visibility into business payments processing.

Square has purchased Evenly, a company that provides services for person-to-person payments. The move heightens Square's competition with PayPal and bolsters its own Square Cash product.

PayPal has invested in Loop Commerce, which offers a software-based gifting service for retailers.

Adyen has developed encryption software that protects payment data for consumers shopping online through desktop or mobile devices.

Many payments companies are testing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, which has a wider range, and is considered an alternative to, Near Field Communication for executing mobile payments. BLE-based technologies are also being developed for customers to check into stores and for merchants to deliver marketing and loyalty programs. Here are few companies giving BLE and other NFC alternatives a try.

Entertainment and mobile technology company Pimovi has released CamFusion, a mobile app that enables in-app payments for content accessed by wearable computing.