Payments

Wearable identity and authentication startup Bionym released software development kit documentation and an online forum to get developers coding apps for its forthcoming wristband, called Nymi, on Monday.

The Amazon Coins digital currency is now available for consumers in the U.K. and Germany to buy mobile applications and make in-app purchases on the Kindle Fire tablet and on Amazon.com Inc.'s regional app stores.

The number of credit cards issued by banks and retailers hit five-year highs between January and August, according to the latest Equifax National Consumer Credit Trends Report.

Mobile point of sale terminals are projected to reach 46% market penetration by 2017, up from the 17% share of the point of sale terminal market that mobile systems held in 2012, according to a whitepaper by Mobey Forum.

Vodafone Group marked the launch of its European mobile wallet initiative in Spain, revealing plans to expand it into Germany next month and other parts of Europe early next year.

Brooklyn is teeming with New York natives and tourists alike, and the borough's merchants sometimes struggle to keep up with the activity. Several are using mobile point of sale systems from companies like ShopKeep to cut through the chaos.

Many of the payments industry's longtime veterans and new entrants started their careers in other industries or founded their companies with a different purpose in mind. Here are some highlights from the many diverse career paths in the payments world.

KINGSTON, N.Y. — Mid-Hudson Valley FCU used a sub-brand as a way to help its MSRs transition from "order takers" to a more dynamic, sales-oriented team.

SAN ANTONIO — Last September $7.5-billion Security Service Federal Credit Union implemented a new CRM solution that resulted in a dramatic savings in workflow steps and time, which SSFCU executives say has helped every area of member service.

PASADENA, Calif. — At $2.5 billion Wescom Credit Union, the problem wasn't having insufficient information about its members - it was too much info to process.

GREENBELT, Md. — A merger - and the resulting integration of systems - that was supposed to require seven months instead was pulled off in slightly more than five months, earning $727 million-asset Educational Systems FCU a Credit Union Journal Best Practices award.

NORCROSS, Ga. — Associated CU has added eight points to its Net Promoter Score by having staff watch TV once a week.

WINSTON SALEM, N.C. — Allegacy FCU has streamlined its member feedback process and launched its "Mapping the Member Experience" program in 2011, reviewing each delivery channel and identifying where processes could be improved.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The word "collaboration" has long been a buzzword at credit unions, and one CUSO continues to see strong success by encouraging a unique mix of collaboration and competition that has helped CUs with another buzzword: innovation.

WEST JORDAN, Utah — Mountain America Credit Union has taken relationship building with its select employer groups to a new level with the creation of its Workplace Branching initiative.

JACKSON, Miss. — With access to quality financial services providers a particular issue in its area, $169 million-asset Hope Credit Union tapped mobile technology and shared branching to attract new members, to the tune of more than 4,000 new members in 10 months.

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Thanks to the introduction of a project-management tool that allows for two-way communication throughout its organization, $1.2 billion Numerica Credit Union has improved results in nearly every measurable category.

CHALRESTON, W.Va. — Pioneer West Virginia FCU has increased its credit card balances by more than 33% each of the last two years and is on pace to beat those results in 2013. The CU credits the jump to bringing the management of its portfolio in-house.

On Track Innovations' (OTI) contactless readers have received certification from the mobile wallet venture Isis, which recently launched its Near Field Communication-based payment system nationwide.

Web commerce provider Digital River will supply online payments technology for HarperCollins, which has recently redesigned websites for author C.S. Lewis.