POS and Retail

American Express Co., the biggest credit-card issuer by purchases, reported Dec. 1 was the best day for card spending by customers in the company’s history.

One phenomenon we are currently seeing in emerging markets is a leapfrog to mobile payments.

?Square Inc. has hired former Visa marketing executive Kevin Burke to lead its customer acquisition initiatives in retail, paid, Web and events marketing channels.??

Abila, a software provider for nonprofits, is working with two payment processors to expand its cloud-based relationship management platform.

Revel Systems plans to expand in Europe after securing a $1.2 million grant from Invest Northern Ireland.

Unless you’ve been completely sequestered away from technology news as well as mainstream news, you probably have heard of the new Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as well as Apple’s new point of sale ecosystem called Apple Pay.

Square CEO Jack Dorsey told CNN that his company wants to help businesses accept all payment forms, including Apple Pay.

Total System Services will offer merchants link2pay's single-point login for payment acceptance.

Square is adding global support for its Register merchant services app, a move that allows the company to measure demand in new markets before investing in the distribution of its hardware and other services.

U.K.-based terminal maker Spire Payments has purchased the electronic funds transfer division of STS, a company that provides point of sale payment devices to more than 40 customers across the Middle East.

Mobile payments provider iZettle is expanding into the Netherlands with its payments application, mobile card reader and business management software.

Swipely began promoting its services through ISOs, value-added resellers and other third parties about a year ago, and the channel now accounts for a third to a half of the company's new customers.

It's not just merchants, issuers and technology companies that are using mobile technology to sell new payment services. As a business software provider, Intuit has been uniquely positioned to link its products to a number of payment initiatives.

Square, which made a short-lived attempt at digital gift cards in late 2012, is debuting a new gift card service today with a heavy emphasis on an older payment instrument: plastic.

Apple Pay's launch about a month ago was accompanied by an almost unprecedented amount of hype and media attention, but it takes more than buzz to shift the world to mobile payments, and Apple's job is far from over.

Mobile tech providers are racing to incorporate EMV chip-and-PIN or chip-and-signature security into their offerings. But many of these companies are taking fundamentally different approaches to linking EMV and mobile technology.

Square Inc. may have more incentive than other acquirers in urging merchant clients to accept EMV-chip cards, but its pricing strategy could deter some from adopting the secure technology.

There is lots of talk about mobile payments and where banks play, but the real opportunity has less to do with payments and more to do with “mobile commerce services," or all of those things banks (and merchants) can do via mobile to attract, engage, motivate and reinforce customer relationships to protect existing revenue streams and create new ones.

Mobile point of sale technology is gaining traction, though providers say the middle market requires a stronger sell.

Heartland Payment Systems has acquired Xpient Solutions to strengthen its processing capabilities in the quick-service and fast-casual food industry.