Payment processing

Taiwan on Jan. 1 began taking initial steps toward creating an integrated transit-payment system by introducing multicard readers on Taipei’s bus network, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

United Bank Card Inc. is making its Harbortouch point-of-sale system available for free to merchants that continue to use the company to process their payment card transactions, the Hampton, N.J.-based independent sales organization announced Jan. 3.

Fifth Third Processing Solutions LLC has signed credit card processing agreements with Education First Credit Union and USA One Credit Union, the Cincinnati-based company announced Jan. 3.

Green Dot Corp. plans use risk-management software from Nice Actimize, the prepaid card provider noted in a Jan. 5 press release.

Global Payments Inc. plans to start a credit and debit card processing service in Brazil this year to compete in the $250 billion market, the Valor Economico newspaper reported Tuesday.

Total System Services Inc., or TSYS, has moved quicker than it originally anticipated in acquiring First National Bank of Omaha’s stake in First National Merchant Solutions LLC.

During the just-completed holiday season, PayPal Inc. experienced a surge in consumers making purchases using its online payment service with their smartphones and other mobile devices, according to the San Jose, Calif.-based company.

Hoping to tap an emerging market, Visa Inc., MasterCard Worldwide and American Express Co. have been working to open their networks to third-party developers of software and smartphone applications.

Western Union Co. plans to acquire one of its European funds-transfer agents, the Englewood, Colo.-based company announced Jan. 3.

Fiserv Inc. has hired a former H&R Block Inc. official as an executive vice president and its chief operating officer.

Company profits in the payment card industry generally are on track to increase in 2011 if credit and debit card purchase volume continues its post-recession growth. But the fortunes of the four largest card networks may vary significantly in 2011, a new report suggests.

VeriFone Systems Inc. has completed its acquisition of Gemalto N.V.’s point-of-sale terminal business, VeriFone announced Jan. 3.

Ukash is hoping a fraud-prevention service offered by Iovation will help to reduce the potential for improper use of its prepaid voucher service, the Portland, Ore.-based vendor announced Dec. 28.

In a major turnaround in plans, lawmakers in the Australian state of Victoria reportedly have proposed scrapping the Myki transit card system.

PayPal Inc. this year will set up its first foreign currency settlement platform in Chongqing, China, along with five international e-commerce centers under an agreement the unit of eBay Inc. signed with the Chongqing Municipal Government on Dec. 28.

For all the hullabaloo mobile remote-deposit capture generated in 2010, the availability of the service that enables consumers to deposit checks from home using the cameras on their smartphones remains limited to a few banks’ customers.

Mobile banking’s of little use as an innovation if apps can’t ensure the identity of the user, creating a lucrative security market in which Tyfone just scored a pair of patents.

China UnionPay has expanded its global reach by making a substantial entry into Vietnam’s payments market in collaboration with Sacombank Ltd., a spokesperson for the Vietnam bank tells PaymentsSource.

Telecommunication firm Tata Indicom, the brand name of Mumbai-based Tata Teleservices Ltd., has signed a mobile-remittance deal with eSSecom Pvt. Ltd., the company announced Dec.15.

The Central Bank of Nigeria earlier this month reportedly granted its approval to allow FirstBank Nigeria PLC to offer mobile-payment services in the East African country.