Payments

Of the many smartwatch apps teased during last week's Apple Watch reveal, only one came from a bank: Citigroup.

As payment providers shift more of their operations online, they may still find a need for spoken communication with their clients — even when those clients also sell exclusively online.

Apple gets it. The way to make things appealing is to make them simple, convenient and valuable for consumers.

Fime has updated a validation tool with Barnes International for issuers to test Visa's cloud-based Host Card Emulation processes and payment tokens for contactless payments.

Square's decision to scuttle its consumer-facing Order app shines an uncomfortable spotlight on the challenges inherent in creating technology that appeals to both consumers and merchants.

Wirecard, a German white-label electronic payment provider, will offer its "boon"-branded mobile payment app to Drillisch, a German telecommunications provider.

The mobile wallet landscape has always been dynamic, and recent consolidation and upheaval have changed it once again. As older products fade or rethink their model, newcomers are bringing bold new ideas to market.

Israeli payments technology provider Zooz has recently moved into the financial capitals of the world, opening offices in both New York City and London.

Intuit Inc. has dipped its toe in the payments pond often, and now the business software provider wants to make a bigger splash by enticing more merchants to use QuickBooks Online.

Sibling rivalry can be fierce. While Visa Europe pushes its own technology for online and mobile commerce — setting the stage for Apple Pay in the U.K. — its brother VocaLink is readying the launch of Zapp, a payment system that that cuts the card networks out of the equation by directing purchases through bank accounts.

The check may not be in the mail. Today’s consumer uses an average of three different payment methods each month, from online to mobile to walk-in and yes, even the occasional check, according to Seventh Annual Billing Household Survey from Fiserv.

Community banking groups have recently struck referral deals with marketplace lenders that could add revenue in the short run, but they might be giving away potentially valuable data and customers in the process.

Square has boosted its technology capabilities while expanding its presence in Canada through the acquisition of Toronto-based Kili Technology Corp.

Apple Pay and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have a lot of appeal for banks looking to stay at the cutting edge of digital payments. But security and compliance risks are part and parcel of these innovations.

Banks can expect to incur higher costs in several areas during the implementation of a settlement agreement to improve the accuracy of credit reports. But they might benefit in the long run by getting better information on borrowers.

Planet Payment is working with Pay.On to leverage its international gateway products.

Yoyo, a QR code-based mobile wallet provider, is cutting through the noise to find a working strategy for its product.

Lucrative sale of a subprime lending unit. Big credit card deal. Clear business plan. It's looking like a good year for Citi — provided it passes the CCAR stress test this week and fills a key executive post.

Seeking a uniform process for card-not-present transactions in the Single Euro Payments Area throughout Europe, the European Payments Council has created a blueprint for an interoperable card and terminal infrastructure.

The European Parliament on March 9 voted in favor of capping interchange fees for domestic and cross-border transactions, a move that many European banks anticipated.