POS and Retail

The Payments Security Task Force and the EMV Migration Forum will offer educational materials about EMV-chip card payments, including templates of social media posts and hashtags; educational downloads that include visual aids and training guides; media interview tips; and more.

When 650-store discount chain Fred's announced a data breach this month, it made an unwarranted leap of logic, one that has become all-too-common among breached retailers. That leap was deciding that an absence of evidence was proof that something didn’t happen.

The United States is one the last developed countries to migrate to an EMV-based payments infrastructure, with a card network-imposed liability shift going into effect on October 1.

The small merchants that turn to Square for their card acceptance needs are also among the most reluctant to swap out their hardware for devices that can handle EMV-chip cards, so Square is putting into play a strategy that banks have long used to get consumers on board with new technology.

Total System Services (TSYS), the Columbus, Ga.-based payment processor, has hired Patricia A. Watson to be senior executive vice president and chief information officer, effective Sept. 14.

Banks are making a big push to court retailers with large stacks of cash, including fast-food chains, gas stations and big-box stores. Regional banks, in particular, are expanding their "smart safe" business — a niche treasury product that retailers use to sort and remotely deposit dollar bills.

The end of the swipe-and-sign era is right around the corner, and merchants such as bars and restaurants could face major risk as of October if they haven't migrated their point of sale systems to accept EMV.

Rather than compete head-on with Square, Intuit is crafting a strategy of providing software that complements Square's offerings for merchants that have more complex needs.

The search system is where a bulk of the product recommendation happens on e-commerce sites, mobile shopping and payments apps.

The payment processors Heartland Payment Systems in Princeton, N.J., and VersaPay in Toronto have partnered to sell a cloud-based accounts receivable product.

While the average consumer’s banking and payment account information may not be considered as highly-sensitive as the "non official cover" list from Mission Impossible, multi-layer authentication is still the best way to fend off fraudsters.

PetLinx, a New Zealand startup that provides software for pet companies, has contracted Boston-based Cayan (formerly Merchant Warehouse) to provide payments support.

As CEO of the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) mobile wallet venture, Brian Mooney must remain calm as his company faces an increasingly stormy market with no product to show for its years-long efforts.

Not long ago, mentioning the word aggregation would make any e-commerce risk analyst cringe. That’s now changed as payment facilitators have emerged as a key value add for acquirers and processors.

In the heavily competitive mobile payments market, the fastest way to lose is to pin all hopes on one vendor. Rite Aid learned this lesson the hard way as a participant in the Merchant Customer Exchange, a multi-retailer mobile payments initiative that demanded exclusivity from its partners.

Blockchain technology is garnering a lot of buzz these days—and with good reason. Enthusiasts are experimenting with ways to apply the technology to everything from secure digital voting systems and stock exchanges to music distribution, smart contracts, and health records.

International payment services provider Planet Payment has made changes in its executive leadership, naming Robert Cox president and Raymond D'Aponte chief financial officer.

The NASA Federal Credit Union will mix science non-fiction and fiction, providing Star Trek themed credit cards on request to its members.

Mobile payments are quickly becoming an integral part of consumers’ daily lives. In order for businesses to stay competitive, it’s important for them to stay on top of the trends in the industry.

ValueAct Capital Management has amassed a stake in American Express Co., people with knowledge of the matter said, as the activist fund considers pursuing shareholder-friendly changes at the credit-card issuer.