Payment processing

Sino Payments Inc., a U.S.-based payments processor that operates out of Hong Kong, says it has signed its first agreement with a European acquirer, Valitor. Under the deal, European merchants will be able to use Sino Payments to process online and card-present transactions.

First Data Corp. recently announced a shakeup of its international division as part of an effort to unite the company into a single global organization designed to develop and deliver products faster.

PayPal Inc. may face its most crucial test this year as it seeks to broaden its reach.

Mobile-payments company Apriva announced this week the launch of the AprivaPay and AprivaPay Professional mobile-payment services. The move means Apriva resellers, including ISOs, banks and merchant acquirers, now can resell Apriva’s integrated mobile-payment product.

Ingenico SA generated $976.3 million (691.4 million euros) in revenue in 2009, a 5% decrease from $1.03 billion the previous year, according to preliminary financial results the France-based point-of-sale terminal maker released yesterday. Ingenico’s preliminary results do not include net-income figures.

A general approach to marketing for ISOs seeking new clients is more likely to fail than would a campaign that targets specific merchant segments and generates referrals, some observers believe.

The $60 million settlement (see story) Heartland Payment Systems Inc. and Visa Inc. announced earlier this month regarding the large data breach the processor reported a year ago “has many weaknesses,” claims three law firms representing issuers of Visa cards.

The loss of large clients, price compression, negative currency-exchange rates and the difficult economy contributed to a difficult fourth quarter and 2009 overall for Total System Services Inc., known as TSYS. The same themes also likely will affect the Columbus, Ga.-based transaction processor this year, executives noted yesterday during a conference call with analysts.

Apriva says it will integrate Visa Inc.’s payWave contactless technology into its vending machine transaction-processing service.

I&M Bank Ltd. in Kenya has received a license from Visa Inc. to process online credit card payments for goods and services in East Africa, reports Bloomberg News.

Payment Alliance International today announced it has acquired Comdata Processing Systems’ merchant-processing business, which includes 5,000 merchant locations and more than 50 independent sales organizations.

U.S. Bancorp today reported credit and debit card revenue for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31 of $273 million, up 6.6% from $256 million during the same period a year earlier. For the year, the Minneapolis, Minn.-based bank reported card revenue of $1.06 billion, up slightly from $1.05 billion in 2008.

Heartland Payment Systems Inc. this week announced it will offer members of the National Restaurant Association a suite of payment products that includes card processing, check services, and payroll, tip-reporting and compliance reports as part of an agreement between the payment processor and the Washington, D.C.-based trade group.

Bank of America Corp.’s Global Card Services unit today reported a net loss of $1 billion for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31; the unit reported a $9 million loss for the same period a year ago.

Bank of India is looking to acquire more than 100,000 point-of-sale terminals this year as part of its POS-network expansion drive, an official from the Mumbai-based financial institution tells PaymentsSource.

The Canadian Minister of Finance’s draft code of conduct for the credit and debit card industry is too restrictive, contends Visa Canada, while MasterCard Canada contends “vigorous debit competition can thrive” under the proposed code. Both card brands submitted their comments on the proposal Jan. 18.

Elavon, U.S. Bancorp’s merchant-acquiring unit, has purchased Citizens National Bank’s portfolio of more than 300 merchant-processing accounts, according to the companies. Terms were not disclosed.

Mobile-payments company Apriva announced today the launch of the AprivaPay and AprivaPay Professional mobile-payment services. Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Apriva operates its own network that connects mobile-payment terminals to processors.

Citibank customers in Thailand can now use their cell phones to access their bank accounts with Citi Mobile, Citi announced earlier this month. The company says it is the first foreign bank to offer mobile banking in Thailand.

Axis Bank soon will outsource its ATM operations, an official for the Mumbai-based bank tells PaymentsSource. The financial institution is in the final stages of selecting a vendor for the outsourcing, says the official, who wished to remain anonymous.