Payments

Mobile wallets, often funded by linked bank accounts, are sometimes described as decoupled debit accounts in disguise — and may suffer from the same challenges decoupled debit faced.

Decoupled debit cards, which enable payments from a checking account at a separate bank, are getting a lift from gas stations — but the product is also under fire from new products, including mobile wallets.

TD Bank Group and President’s Choice Financial are launching the Near Field Communication-based Ugo mobile wallet in Canada.

Mitek Systems has received another patent for its mobile bill-pay imaging technology.

With a population of 1.35 billion people, more than half of whom already use mobile services, the People's Republic of China represents the largest and perhaps the most attractive, if somewhat challenging, market for mobile commerce on Earth.

FICO plans to help credit and debit card-issuing banks cut down on fraud through its new service that uses a mobile phone to determine a cardholder's location.

On Track Innovations Ltd. (OTI) plans to ship 40,000 Near Field Communication payment readers to North America by the end of the year.

In the cluttered mobile payments market, mShift Inc. says it has a chance with its AnyWhereMobile system, which expands on its expertise in mobile banking.

Payments processor Elavon will handle mobile payment transactions generated through iZettle mobile card readers in Europe.

Square Inc.'s new partnership with Staples treats the office supply seller as both a distribution channel and a showroom for its Square Stand point of sale system.

MasterCard Inc. has partnered with the apparel seller J. Crew to target "digital mom" shoppers with the MasterPass digital wallet.

Citibank Hong Kong and wireless carrier 3 Hong Kong are jointly launching the 3 Citi Wallet, which was designed for Hong Kong, but establishes a technology Citi can export to other regions.

Xoom Corp. has expanded its bill-paying services in the Philippines through a partnership with the Bayad Center.

WASHINGTON—More consumers are becoming comfortable with paying their bills on the fly and using their smartphone to make a retail purchase, a new CUNA study reveals.

DES MOINES, Iowa—Rising rates may bring an end to many credit unions' fixed-rate card programs.

LOS ANGELES—CU Wallet has added 10 new credit union partners since the initiative's September unveiling, for a total of 25 credit unions representing 3 million members across 17 states.

NEW YORK—The coveted "Millennial" generation of consumers ages 18 to 34 is central to the success of any new payments technology-but this group also has a wide range of financial goals that make it hard to target with a one-size-fits-all product.

BOSTON—Though the prepaid card market's image is changing and its usage is climbing, credit unions aren't rushing to bring the offering into their cards mix.

New York—As the market for prepaid cards expands and diversifies, many companies are experimenting to see what works - and in the process, they are learning that a product-based mindset could hold them back.

CyberSource, a Visa e-commerce subsidiary, has partnered with Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL), Laos' largest commercial bank, to provide online payment services to merchants.