Payment processing

The use of ultrasonic noise — silent to the human ear — in mobile payments and rewards hasn't garnered as much attention as Near Field Communication chips and QR codes, but there are a few successful implementations.

Without any clear drive to consolidate, the mobile-wallet market will remain chaotic for merchants in the near-term. But from the consumer's perspective, it won't be chaotic at all.

In Russia, there's a large potential for U.S. payments providers willing to brave country's complex tech infrastructure and a national ID and payment card initiative that's still a work in progress.

For PayPal, mobile devices aren't just new instruments of payment. They are also a way to attract new active users.

The card networks are reporting strong progress among issuers and acquirers in the U.S. migration to EMV-chip cards, but many retailers are still lashing out against the expectation that they upgrade their point of sale hardware.

American Express Co. is continuously trying to broadening its scope, shedding its image as a card for the elite to instead appeal to teens and young adults.

The merchant-backed mobile wallet consortium, Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), announced today its working with the technology company Gemalto.

Stripe, a tech company that helps other companies build payments technology, has hired U.K. technology entrepreneur Andy Young to help drive Stripe’s expansion in the United Kingdom and other markets.

Miami Dolphins fans would no longer have to tackle big crowds at the concession stands if Sun Life Stadium can put a plan in place to use mobile apps to order and pay for food.

Smoothie maker Jamba Juice Co. built its menu around variety and customer choice. Its approach to mobile payments is no different.

The prepaid card industry has a lot to teach the companies that handle virtual currencies, as the Bitcoin economy begins to attract the same regulatory scrutiny prepaid cards received over the past several years.

Alioth, which sells government and payment cards in Russia, is teaming with NXP Semiconductors to launch a multi-functional card that combines payments with a range of other uses.

Fiserv is changing the name of its ACCEL/Exchange payments network to Accel, a move that draws attention to Fiserv's technology as the company competes against rivals such as Fidelity National Information Services and develops new emerging payments technology.

Retailers should determine how new mobile payment systems will work within the structure of their business, rather than fret over the specifics of the technology, says Jamie Henry, senior director of payment systems at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Virtual Piggy Inc., an alternative payment provider for teens, announced three new members to its board of directors.

Less than three years ago, Visa described a financial institution's request to issue EMV-chip cards as "a unique situation" and "not an everyday query." Times have certainly changed.

Despite the abundance of portable card readers, the sales pitch is often the same: it's for babysitters, gardeners, flea market sellers and other small merchants. Payleven says the market can be much bigger.

LevelUp's partnership with Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services could expand the mobile payment system's presence in the Midwest, a region that has received less attention from startups than San Francisco and New York.

Evertec Inc., a significant acquirer processor and card issuer in Latin America and the Caribbean region for 25 years, is casting part of its business as that market's Square Inc. and looking to supercharge its payments business after its April 12 initial public offering.

The 25th Card Forum & Expo brought hundreds of payments professionals together in Boca Raton, Fla. to share strategies and ideas. Here's a recap of some of the most talked about subjects from the event.