Payments

VibePay is releasing its app on Google Play and the Apple App Store and calling for up to 100,000 new beta testers.

Private equity firm Lovell Minnick Partners has finished what it calls a "significant growth investment" in payments technology and merchant services provider Fortis Payment Systems, LLC.

Traditional acquirers are under severe pressure from the digital payments revolution, challenged to hold onto clients by stitching together legacy systems, existing hardware, mobile, cloud and apps. Those that can harness innovation and find the right startup partners can not only stave off elimination, but drive the next generation of multi-channel shopping and transaction revenue.

Smaller enterprises don't have the resources of larger firms, but open source technology may be helpful, says Pimcore's Shashin Shah.

In the four years since Nets set up a laboratory at its Copenhagen headquarters to test new approaches to payments, it’s learned that consumer response to biometric payments technology such as finger-vein checkout is nearly impossible to predict.

Fresh off a public offering and shopping boost, Alibaba Group has entered into an agreement with Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to build digital finance services in areas such as cross-border finance and electronic payment settlement.

Digital technology is increasingly connecting compensation and payment capabilities for contractors and creating an ability to share apps. It's a trend that’s brought Citi and PayPal together to offer flexibility and a network effect to counter fintechs.

Easy credit has given way to cautiousness, with financial technology upstarts now seeking households with higher incomes, above-average credit scores and less debt relative to their wages.

While the road to API connectivity has not been smooth, solid progress is being made in connecting banks to third parties, says Token's Todd Clyde.

Swedish payment provider Klarna Bank AB is preparing for a potential initial public offering in the next one or two years as the most valuable European fintech startup expands rapidly in the U.S.