Payment processing

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC has warned its video-game console users that their credit card information might have been compromised in a recent security breach that has affected the PlayStation 3’s online network as well as the company’s streaming music and video service.

Improving economic conditions and organic growth helped processor Total System Services Inc., or TSYS, on April 26 to report a 3.8% rise in first quarter revenue, to $429.4 million from $413.5 million during the same period last year. Net income was $49.4 million, down 4.6% from $51.8 million.

A sign that international travel regained some of the momentum lost during the recession, new data from Visa Inc. show that travelers going to and from the U.S. boosted their spending significantly last year.

Two Russian immigrants on April 20 were charged in Fayetteville, N.C., with skimming credit and debit card data from members at four credit unions at three local ATMs.

WASHINGTON — While the banking industry clearly has momentum on its side in the fight to delay a rule that would limit debit interchange fees, time for Congress to act is rapidly running out.

American Express Co. is hitting the streets in Eugene, Ore., to promote Serve, its digital wallet for those consumers who are turned off by the elite branding of its main product line.

Square Inc. is making its smartphone magnetic stripe card reader available through Apple Inc.’s stores and website, but the move has left one observer unimpressed.

Green Dot Corp. has established a new division to serve government agencies.

Many banks' mobile strategies have hinged on getting smartphone applications to market as fast as possible, but now the early adopters are moving on to the next step — making sure those apps live up to consumers' expectations.

Seeking to reassure investors that the effects of the recent cyberattack on the e-mail marketing operations of its Epsilon unit will be minimal, parent Alliance Data Systems Corp.’s chief told analysts April 21 that, although the event made clients angry and frustrated, it has not resulted in any significant falloff in business.

Visa Inc. is working with clothing retailer Gap Inc. to deliver discounts to cardholders via mobile phone SMS text messages.

Stable and improving credit trends helped generate 10% growth in Fifth Third Bancorp’s first quarter card-processing volume, to $80 million from $73 million a year earlier, the bank announced April 21.

Ukash’s partnership with 3V Transaction Services Ltd. to enable consumers to purchase event tickets for the London 2012 Olympics using a Visa-branded virtual prepaid card is part of a company initiative to become a prepaid debit card reload network in Europe, according to CEO David Hunter.

Credit quality is improving for Capital One Financial Corp., but the bank and card issuer expects loan growth to continue to be slow as competition for new customers intensifies.

Improving economic trends that significantly lowered its credit card charge-offs and reduced its provision for losses helped card issuer and loyalty-services provider Alliance Data Systems Corp. to report a sharp rise in first-quarter profits.

Significant improvement in consumer credit helped Wells Fargo & Co. to cross-sell a record of combined products per household during the first quarter, the company announced April 20.

Payment-terminal software applications are poised to play a significant role in the Near Field Communication payment ecosystem.

The National Payments Corp. of India plans to link Rupay, India’s soon-to-be-launched domestic payment card scheme, with the country’s Aadhaar resident-identification program.

The Republic of Botswana’s First National Bank has launched a mobile wallet for its customers in the African country, a spokesperson for the bank tells PaymentsSource.

WASHINGTON — As Congress continues to struggle over whether to delay a pending Federal Reserve Board plan to cap interchange fees for debit cards, a key question remains unresolved: How far is the central bank prepared to go on its own to modify the rule?