Payment cards

Final is a combination of a virtual and plastic card that brings an 'as-a-service' model to card issuance.

The software allows chip card terminals to be operable much faster than with full certification. In other markets outside the U.S., semi-integration is widely used.

Shugar has previously held technology positions at eBay, Yahoo, Verisign and The Thomson Corp., among other companies.

The deal had been held up by U.K. regulators over concerns about competitive balance.

The company's selling product that's similar to a store-branded card, but without the physical plastic. It hopes to appeal to small or midsize stores that don't want to run their own credit programs.

Australian regulations recently denied banks the right to negotiate with Apple Inc. to directly add Apple Pay to their digital apps, but the victory may do little for Apple, considering consumers in the country appear to have little interest in using mobile wallets.

Charlie Scharf, the former chief executive officer of Visa Inc., was named chairman of the New York City Ballet, the largest dance organization in the U.S.

Instant card issuance is an older technology, but it's tailor made for the digital and mobile world, where instant gratification is key.

There are lots of new technology driven payment startups, though most still at least partly rely on the traditional card/bank model.

Thousands of U.S. merchants are still holding out against EMV because they see no immediate threat from counterfeit card fraud, and business goes on. But a less obvious change in payment card acceptance may finally force them to upgrade.