Online payments

SaaS-based technology provides a blended approach to remittance processing that enables financial institutions to outsource infrastructure responsibilities, while retaining the management of transaction processing, bank deposits and receivable updates.

Requiring customers to sign up for online banking before they can enroll in mobile could deter would-be digital customers from some transactions.

This month, Microsoft and Sony are launching new machines with a whole new take on games, movies — and payments. And they're not the only ones applying video game strategies to the payments industry.

MasterCard Inc. has partnered with the apparel seller J. Crew to target "digital mom" shoppers with the MasterPass digital wallet.

Xoom Corp. has expanded its bill-paying services in the Philippines through a partnership with the Bayad Center.

CyberSource, a Visa e-commerce subsidiary, has partnered with Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL), Laos' largest commercial bank, to provide online payment services to merchants.

Sony Corp. now lets PlayStation 3 owners fund their game and media purchases with PayPal accounts directly from their video game consoles.

Visa, which reports its fraud rate is at a historic low of 6 cents for every hundred dollars processed, is positioning itself as a safe haven for payments services.

PayPal is offering to waive $50,000 in processing fees for startups designing mobile or Web-based services through the eBay unit's Startup Blueprint Program.

Consumers are using retailer discounts linked to their payment cards, but banks and merchants have to simplify the deals and make sure their customers are aware of them.

ACI Worldwide has extended its tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of electronic bill payment provider Official Payments Holdings (OPay).

Fiserv is betting its bank network and a user-friendly interface can make electronic payments appealing to small businesses, a frustratingly hard segment to reach with transaction automation.

PayPal, having long ago charted the state-by-state regulatory waters for U.S. payments companies, is urging a reform to the rules in an effort that could ultimately help other players in its market.

Digital content providers will have more options to accept payments through Live Gamer Inc.'s Pay+ product.

Wells Fargo, which was one of the first banks to offer mobile banking apps to business customers in 2007, has been making some updates. The site allows clients to divide tasks across different people — one person might initiate a payment template, another person may make a payment for that template, and a third might approve the payment, for instance.

Optimal Payments Plc, which is based in Isle of Man, has registered with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to provide services to Internet gambling businesses licensed by New Jersey.

WePay is enjoying strong volume in crowdfunding payments, and is keeping an eye on regulatory developments that may affect its next opportunities.

LevelUp is launching a "connected app" technology that lets merchants tap into its mobile payment system for online commerce and a variety of other uses.

Virtual Piggy, which offers an online alternative payment system for teens, will run a developers event for participants up to 19 years old in Los Angeles on Dec. 7.

Consumers continue to view their banks as a trusted payments provider, but they view PayPal Inc. as the nonbank to trust the most.